Snow Shoveling - Do Your Kids Get Involved?

Growing up I can remember helping out my parents with the snow shoveling.  I may not have always enjoyed being outside shoveling, but it was something we did.  My brother and I would often do our neighbours drive way as well.

As we got older, my dad ended up with a snow blower, but when he wasn't home we still had to shovel. After he died, we only had a few snowfalls that winter before my mom got out the Yellow Pages and found a snow plow company. She hired them for the rest of the winter, and has continued using a plow service ever since.

When hubby and I got our house, his parents gave us their old snow blower as they were buying a new one.  It was definitely nice to have, but hubby has this obsession with a clear drive way, so he still uses a shovel to scrape the driveway right down.

I didn't do much shoveling until I was home with the kids.  If it's a nice day, I would bundle them up and go out to "play" in the snow. From the time our kids could walk, we had them out helping us. They wouldn't do much other than play in the snow, but they were with us as this was happening.  As they got older and could handle a shovel, they would help with the walk way. Now that they are older, the kids will help dad with the driveway, and have now learned from hubby about how to scrape up the last remaining snow left.

Our previous neighbours had a snowplow service, but my kids would often shovel the walkway and steps for them.  Most of the time they would do this without prompting from us.

When I look at other houses around us, I am surprised that I don't see more kids out helping.  I know that a LOT of people have started using plow services, or they have a snow blower - but I am amazed at how many families don't seem to get the kids involved in snow clearing.

This year we haven't had much shoveling to do - yet. I know it is coming though, and we will be making sure the kids pitch in to help.