As I was cleaning up the dishes 15 minutes after dinner a couple nights ago, I realized how much I have changed. When I was a child and young adult, I avoided doing dishes and probably whined a bit when I had to do them.

Maybe the key to my change was repetition. From early on, Trish and I decided when one of us cooks, the other cleans up. After all these years, I have cleaned up thousands of dishes and it seems easy now. It’s so easy that my love for a tidy kitchen sometimes inspires me to clean up even when I cooked.

Laundry seems similarly easy. A few times a week, I toss in a load before taking Roli for a walk, then finish it up when I get back. It seems a small effort to have my favorite clothes available.

Maybe this is why parents can’t understand why children hate chores. Chores seem easy after decades of life and they are a means to an end.

How do feel now about the chores you did as a child?