Nathan and Ryan had a “job” over the holidays watching the neighbor Tom’s two cats and taking care of the plants.  They’ve done this job before, apparently well enough to get asked back.  Actually, they take the job seriously.  I know, because the rubber tree plants gave them quite a scare.

About two weeks into the three week stint, Nathan and Ryan came back from Tom’s house looking a little worried.  It had been unusually cold in our little town of Rocklin.  So much so that it actually snowed.  Enough for Ryan to run out that white morning and make a decent snowman.

Two days before the snow, however, the boys ran over to Tom’s to cover the plants.  Part of the job description included checking the weather forecast for temperature drops.  They were instructed to cover a section of the garden with plastic if it dropped below freezing.  I was proud that I didn’t have to remind them to do this; teaching kids how to be responsible is often difficult and, as a parent, you may not know if they’re learning this life skill until you see them running over to the neighbor’s house to cover the plants.

This particular day, the boys returned from feeding the cats and checking on the plants with definite concern in their eyes.  The rubber trees in Tom’s back yard were looking pretty “brown and droopy”.  Tom had asked that they water the trees every four days unless it rained.  Well it had rained so the boys figured the trees were fine.  Until they saw them that morning.

“You did what he asked you to do,”  I told the boys.  “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Yes, but we don’t want Tom to think we’re not responsible because their trees died,”  Nathan said.

It’s nice to see that kids actually care about things like whether or not the neighbor’s trees die…on their watch.  That’s what I love about having kids do small “jobs” such as this.  Jobs that don’t involve mom or dad, where someone else is boss.  And it’s been my experience that kids really like the responsibility.  They like knowing that someone trusts them to do the job and do it well.  Money aside, the confidence-building alone is worth it.

And the rubber trees?  Turns out each winter they turn brown and droopy.  They perk up in the spring.  Who knew?