LuLu is definitely the chronological age to do some basic household chores. And over the last few years we’ve worked hard to institute these at various times. But just like everything else in LuLu’s obsessive-compulsive, and often defiant, life, chores can easily become huge battlegrounds.

So, having learned the hard way with a kid who is STUCK that the goal is self-regulation (calming) more than it is to learn the chore, I’ve definitely picked my battles. So at this point, LuLu is down to only the basic contribution to the household…making her bed, putting away laundry and basic hygiene. And there are some days that these tasks trigger battles as well.

But then there are other days, like today, in which she goes out of her way to look for opportunities to contribute. And it always catches me by surprise. Frankly, the other kids don’t operate that way at all (or rarely). When I request that Kay does the dishes or takes out the trash, it is frequently met with an eye roll. (So a good Love & Logic mom is ready to eye roll the next time she makes a request of me.)

But with LuLu, my requests either bring about a rage, or I have an eager helper. On Monday night, LuLu eagerly cooked dinner. Today, with no prompting, she brought in the groceries. Granted, there was food in the bags that she wanted, but still I’m always surprised when she is totally willing to be so helpful.

And, when I told her that what would really help me (time wise) would be for someone to walk the dog, she volunteered! I’m still stunned at that one. She successfully led the dog down the street and back, getting about 20 minutes of exercise for both her and the dog.

Then we headed off, optimistically, to church….where what happened next definitely juxtaposed this afternoon.

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