You Might Be A Minnesotan If You’ve Done These Chores

Almost everyone I know here in Minnesota had what I call 'Minnesota Chores' growing up. It doesn't matter if you lived in a suburb, a small town, or on a farm. The jobs might have changed a bit, but we all got a taste of Minnesota weather while we were doing those chores, and we grew up knowing that the forecast is pretty important to us. Rain or shine, summer or winter, chores had to be done, and we had to do them.

I'm just wondering; Do you make YOUR kids do those same chores that you were responsible for as a child?  Did those chores make us stronger? More resilient? Did we become outstanding human beings by doing chores? Do you think it's doing the same thing for our kids that it did for us?

Take this quiz and ask yourself if you remember having to do any of these things when you were a kid.

SHOVELED SNOW...AND THEN SHOVELED SNOW FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR

Did you have to do all the shoveling at your house? Did your brothers and sisters have to help you? Did your parents do it most of the time, but count on you when they were at work and you were home for a snow day?

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PICKING ROCK

I remember picking rocks out of the field for my Dad for what seemed like hours. I despised that job, and I can't imagine that it ever really helped him, because each year about a million more would appear in the fields. As I recall, Dad usually had quite a handful of people out there at a time doing this in the spring, and I wish I could say I enjoyed it.

MOVING A DOCK

I've heard that this job is no fun at all, but luckily, I've never had to move a dock. Cabin people, though? You bet they get it.

BATTLING A MOUSE NEST INSIDE YOUR GRILL

I've got a grill right now that I had to leave outside for the winter, and I'm a bit scared to take the cover off and see what might be hiding inside.

HELPING GRANDMA AND GRANDPA WEED THE GARDEN

Were we helping? Were we? Probably not. But was it really about that anyway? Sure..Grandma and Grandpa probably would have loved a kid who couldn't wait to go find weeds and pull them out of the garden, but really, I think they were just trying to get us to appreciate our lives, cause dealing with us picking weeds must have been worse than just picking them without us.

MOWING A LAWN BIGGER THAN A BALL FIELD

This was a job I liked to do as a kid. It was a chance at learning how to drive!

PICKING UP ALL THE BRANCHES FROM LAST NIGHT'S THUNDERSTORM

Most of the time, Dad mowed, and after storms, someone had to go pick up sticks. I don't think I minded this one either.

KNOCK DOWN THE WASP NEST ON THE SHED

Although I saw my fair share of wasp and bee nests growing up, I was never asked to knock one down. That sounds more like a double dog dare.

HOLD THE FLASHLIGHT WHILE SOMEONE FIXES THE BOAT MOTOR

This might not be a chore, but someone has to be Dad's sidekick when you go fishing. Inevitably, we need to learn how to handle ourselves in that situation, right?

PULLED WEEDS FROM THE CRACKS IN YOUR DRIVEWAY

More weeds. SO many weeds. Weeding is an easy chore for kids to do, although it takes them all day.