Our kids help out around the house a lot. They have chores to do and are expected to pitch in regularly.  This means that while someone is down mucking out the chicken coop, someone else might be pitching in with the dishes.

And every night we have a hoard of creatures that need to be tucked into bed, safe and sound, just like the kids!

Rewards and recognition help to keep our kids positive about the contributions they make, and trust me when I tell you that they do more than the average kid!  My daughter was up early and had her “chores” down by 9am this morning since she wanted to be able to go to the pool in the afternoon with her friends.

The big girls get “financial support” from us.  Bits towards their pocket money so they can learn the financial freedom of making choices with their coins.

But for the little dude, the fellow who would lose a quarter if you gave it to him, it is a little different.

And yes, even our little dude pitches in.  He is responsible for free ranging the chickens (and keeping the predators away) and while this isn’t a “hard” job, it can be a tedious one.  Chicken snuggles are fabulous, but sometimes adding to his “reward’ makes everything a little more exciting.

And we know just what makes him feel appreciated.

I keep a stash of Kinder Surprise treats in my desk drawer (shhhh don’t tell anyone) and these are perfect to pull out after the chores are done.

He gets the treat, and then I get HIM.

It has become a habit that he shares his excitement over his surprise toy inside, and sometimes (if it is a tricky one) I even get the fun of building it with him.

It is a tiny moment in our busy day, but isn’t that what life is made up of?  Tiny moments that we appreciate. Tiny moments where we pause for just a wee second to enjoy our life.

How to you appreciate the little moments with your kids?  Check out the Kinder Canada Facebook page for fun ideas, weekly giveaways and other ways to get #KinderSmiles out of your kids!