Your Days Of Shoveling Snow Are Over; Make The Kids Do It

Apparently, South Jersey is supposed to get hit with another few inches of snow beginning   Wednesday night.

If you're complaining about having even more snow to shovel in the near future, you're not alone. I've had many friends tell me they're not looking forward to having to get out there in the cold again so soon. It's funny because we've all been saying how last year was such a bummer since we really had no snow to speak of.

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Listen, I love the snow as much as the kids do -- for the first few days. Once it becomes dark and grimy, though, I'm over it. I don't mind shoveling, to be honest. However, having to do it so frequently due to all the snow we've been getting lately, yeah, I'm pretty much done with that.

Now, I don't have children, so if I didn't live in a complex that already took care of that for me, I'd be out of luck. However, if you're kids are more than capable of doing the job, I say it's about time to hand over those reins. There's nothing wrong with a little manual labor to teach the kids the responsibilities that come with home ownership. I'm not saying force your six year old to bundle up and take care of it, but your ten year old can at least shovel the walkway up to the house.

If you value the exercise element of shoveling (and boy, is it a workout), then by all means, keep at it. But, if you're wondering whether or not your third grader is able to handle it, believe me, they are. My mom made me start shoveling when I was in third grade. These few inches we're about to get would be the perfect time for them to start.

So parents, if you're looking for permission to kick your feet up and send your kids out to do the job, here it is. If you want to be super nice, just have some hot cocoa ready when they come in.