My (Clean) Little Secret

So Ariella has been asking lately how she can get more money. She keeps pestering me to think of ways she can earn some money around the house, and I keep pushing her off, using the line that has been used for thousands of years, all the way to when Cain asked Eve how he could earn some extra pocket cash: "I'll discuss it with your father." (Digression: If Eve had said, "Here's five shekel, try not to kill your brother," would history have turned out very differently? See, parenting by bribery is not always bad!)

Of course, then her father and I forget to discuss it. Because we're so busy discussing other, exciting topics, including but not limited to:

1. The shade/sukkah on our mirpeset
2. The latest Nadav-capade (like his recent predilection for munching on plums in his crib during vigil).
3. Our Day (Donny: "Work...meeting....PMs....cloud....specs....blah blah blah...." Me: "Blog....Rami Levi.....thing I learned on Google...kids...blah blah blah....")

And then she asks again, and I use the line on her again, and she's frustrated that I am not keeping up my end of the bargain. So tonight I threw it back to her, telling her to come up with a list of things she thinks might be allowance-worthy.

She came back with: Taking care of Nadav, Folding Laundry and Helping with Dinner.

The laundry was an interesting idea. In theory, this is perfect for her. I could teach her how to fold clothes correctly, a lesson she is long overdue for, if you've ever opened her drawers and seen a pile of colored wrinkles staring back at you. It's age-appropriate, helpful and necessary.

But here's the thing: I don't want to give up laundry folding.

That's right. Because the bigger the laundry pile, the more TV I get to watch while folding. And I so look forward to my weekly dates with laundry +  Gossip Girl (Yes, Gossip Girl. Don't judge/laugh...oh fine, go ahead. Judge. Laugh.)

So....we are still undecided. I'll have to remember to speak to her father about it.