Mean Mom or Life Lesson

So, here is how my mind works.  I was taking a shower on Saturday and the water wasn't draining properly and my mind went to thinking that I needed to remind Rob to clean out the gutters before winter set in.  After my shower I asked the kids if either of them wanted to clean the gutters.  Emily agreed after I said I would pay her.  Before we headed outside I thought that Jeremy shouldn't get off so easily so I taught him how to clean out the tubs drain trap.  I think this is an equally gross job.

Emily started out standing on the shed to clean the garage gutters out then did the sun rooms gutters.  The challenge then was to do the upper gutters.  In the back of the house it is a little easier because you can stand on the sun room.  That is until we realized that  Emily wasn't tall enough to reach so I had her haul the extension ladder up.  We learned a very big lesson.  Someone should always be there to hold the ladder for you!  I stood there completely helpless as Emily was taking her last step before transferring onto the roof when the ladder slid out from under her and down she fell!  Thank God it is only about 8 feet to the sun room roof.  She has a nice bruise on her butt.  After she got her wits back she was able to lower one of the ladders down to us so we could send Jeremy up to hold the long ladder for her.

I give her all the props in the world because I would NEVER have gotten back up there after a fall.

While Emily was up on the roof Jeremy had to get all the leaves that pile up between the shed and the air conditioner raked up.  I do not want to encourage any critters making this corner of my house a home for winter.  So, am I a mean mom or a mom who taught her kids good life skills?