Joey & Carla Link
April 22, 2026
One of our daughters was not doing her chores so they were completely done. Minimum effort would best describe her work. When checking them one time to see how well they were done, I (Carla) asked her, “Good, better, best, which one would you say described your work on your chores today?” She truthfully told me they weren’t even done “good”.
She had heard us use the “Good, better, best” phrase before, but on this day, I took the time to talk to her about it. I asked her why it didn’t say, “not finished, fair, good, better, best”. She laughed and said because it didn’t rhyme. I told her I thought they didn’t add other words below the standard of “good” because “good” was the bare minimum of acceptable work. She thought about it for a minute then asked if that was why her dad and I didn’t accept any work that wasn’t at least “good”, and I agreed with that.
After this, I often would look at the work they did on chores or schoolwork and just say, “Good, better, best, which is this?” Or, I might ask them, “Good, better, best, what could you do to make your work look better than good?”
I told both my girls the actual phrase was, “Never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better is best”. You can make up a song using these words for your young kids to sing as they do their chores.
Using Grades to Help Your Kids Evaluate Themselves
When our kids were 8 yrs. and up, we would give them an assignment back after giving them a grade and ask them if they agreed with the grade given. They usually did. I recorded the grade I gave them, but asked them what they could do to bring the grade on their next assignment up a level. They always knew what they needed to do.
It wasn’t their intellect that was the problem. They were all smart kids. It was their unwillingness to get the work done without being sloppy, or double checking their work, or asking for help that was the problem.
If they got an “A” on an assignment we praised them for putting forth their best effort. If they got a “B”, they had to re-do the problems or questions they got wrong. If they got a “c” or lower on an assignment, they had to re-do the entire assignment. We also graded them in the same way for their work on their chores. They also got graded for what their attitude was. The follow-up question of “What can you do to bring that grade up?” eliminated lectures from us.
These are two good ways to work with your kids to step it up and do their very best on the work you give them to do.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23
Understanding Freedoms, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2
This 2-part series talks about what the statement “With responsibility comes freedom” should look like in your home. Are you frustrated with your children because you are constantly reminding them to do the things they know they should do? In Part 1 of this presentation you will learn what to do when your children are not taking ownership of their behaviors in attitude and action.
Part 2 of this presentation looks at how to effectively train your children in the Repentance, Forgiveness, and Restoration process. This process will turn their hearts around.
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Parenting Made Practical Podcasts
#25. Kids and their Work Ethic
Having a good work ethic is to do a job you are given to do the way it is supposed to be done, with your best effort. Is this the way your kids/teens do their chores and schoolwork when they would rather be doing something else? Join Joey & Carla as they share how to teach your kids how to have a good work ethic and why it matters.
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