Working With Dad

The local drama club always comes to the pizzeria where I work every year after putting on their play. Usually we are unprepared and the order-takers and cooks are overwhelmed. Since I have a stepdaughter in the play this year, I was aware of the schedule and volunteered to show up and help out for an hour or so.

Since this was a night that I had my kids, and since they had helped buss the tables after a soccer team party a few weeks ago, I let them come along and help.

"Levi" helped set up chairs for the large group. "Bess" and "Rae" helped serve drinks, refilling soda pitchers and passing out cups, lids, and straws. All 3 kids helped fold pizza boxes while the drama kids were eating. The girls also helped driver (and part-time waitress) Kristie to take down the salad bar.

And they all 3 helped buss the tables after the drama group left, dumping pop into our "big red bucket", paper and food waste in the trash, and dishes to be washed into the dish tubs.

Kristie made over $50 in tips on the group, and she was nice enough to share $2 each with my 3 kids.

I've found that when kids know what they are doing and have tasks they are capable of accomplishing, they actually like to pitch in and work. This is especially true when they see others around them working also.