"I've made a little bit of a mess."

“Dad, can you come here? I’ve made a little bit of a mess.” Those words are enough to strike fear into the hearts of most parents.

James decided that he would be very helpful this morning and so he got all the cereal bowls out of the cupboard. He got the spoons out of the drawer. Then he got the cereal packets out and started putting cereal into bowls.

I pretty much kept my distance because I knew that he wanted to do it all himself.

Then came those words. “I’ve made a little bit of a mess.”

I immediately had visions of Sultana Bran stretching from one end of the kitchen to the other but I thought I’d better stay calm. After all, he was only trying to help.

I wandered into the kitchen to see ….. an over full bowl and a few crumbs on the bench. He had emptied the last of an almost finished packet into the bowl and a few crumbs had spilled out.

All I had to do was put a little bit of the cereal back into the packet and wipe the crumbs off the bench. No problem.

I know it was only a matter of getting breakfast ready but one of the most satisfying things for me as a parent is seeing Emily and James taking on tasks that will benefit the whole family without prompting. James thought it was such a thrill that he was helping this morning. I only hope that his desire to serve others continues to grow over the coming years.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading "I've made a little bit of a mess."? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.