School starts next week though, and for home school moms and public school moms alike, it's time to get things back in order--right? If you're like me, you're busy buying supplies, grabbing the best spots for music lessons, and coordinating rides. While you get these things ready, I highly recommend getting your family ready for a smooth re-entry.
We're getting ready by rooting our kids out of bed a little earlier every day, and this year I've decided that I really can't start home school until we have chores back in place. I've discovered by sad experience that throwing a new schedule at the kids all on one day usually results in huge melt-downs--and the kids are unhappy, too. :) So this year we're learning chores this week, the schedule next week, and the following week we'll actually add studying. (Home school has its perks, eh? I make my own rules.)
My kids know how to clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, put away laundry, do basic lawn care, wash windows and even organize areas that are messy. The only problem is...they don't know how to do any one of those those things extremely well. Ahem. I'm great at barking orders, keeping the family on a schedule, and getting the house in decent shape. But I'm not good at follow-through with the kids. My philosophy so far on kids and chores has been--and I think it's a good one--windows that are washed only somewhat well today by one of the kids are better than windows washed perfectly by me...someday.
We're ready to take it to the next level this year though, and I'm so excited. This year I'm cutting down on what I ask of them, and requiring quality work. So instead of asking for them to clean up after each other, I'm asking them to clean up after themselves. Short term, I might be doing more of the chores around here, but long term I plan on them helping with more as they master the basics.
Stewardships
It's not all about re-branding dreary old "chores" into shiny new "stewardships"--although I am pretty proud of doing that. I remember my parents re-branding stuff all the time. We saw right through it all, of course, but semantics matter! You can't resist the positive force of positive words!
The best part of this new system is that it teaches accountability, which admittedly has not been our strongest suit. So here are the SHINY NEW STEWARDSHIPS.
Laundry:
In the past, every day a different kid would fold and put away laundry--any which way. As long as it landed in a drawer, I didn't complain too loudly; and because I didn't know which child was responsible for my disaster of a linen closet, I really couldn't complain. Now, I sort each child's clothing into his or her own basket, and they're in charge of putting it away. Neatly. And because they know no one else will be messing with their drawers, they are more motivated to keep them tidy. My awesome husband put extra shelves in the laundry room to make room for all the baskets. So they get one stewardship point for an empty laundry basket, and another for neat drawers.
Bathroom:
The kids used to share a tube of toothpaste, and Ezra especially hated the mess everyone else made of it. I remember growing up the oldest of eight, I would have killed for my own tube of toothpaste. So I got a seperate one for each child and labeled it, as well as labeling an individual little box for it to go in. Their floss and toothbrush also go in their little box. So tidy! They get one stewardship point for not leaving any belongings out in the bathroom, including clothes on the floor or stuff on the counter.
Belongings:
Each child is now responsible for putting away his or her belongings. Such a novel concept! I check every room in the house, including their bedrooms, which should be tidy with beds made. They get a point for a clean bedroom, and a point for not leaving belongings in any of the other rooms.
Morning Chores:
Ezra takes care of his lizards
Eliza wipes down the bathroom sink, counter and mirror
Naomi vacuums one room
Paul takes out the garbage
Isaiah wipes down the toilet seat
They get one point each.
Follow Through!
The best part of this deal is that I've planned a time for checking up. This teaches accountability! (For me, too.) Every day after breakfast I walk through the house and make little tally marks for each point accumulated on my handy-dandy chart. They can let these build up over the weeks for a big prize or (as has so far been the case) blow it all every day on a half-hour of iPad time. Either way, everybody's happy.
Here is what they can buy with their stewardship points.
The points are written in dry erase marker, so when they spend them, we just erase them.
There are a few really great principles at work here.
#1: kids will have privileges because we're nice parents. We might as well make those privileges work for us.
#2: mess begets mess. Kids in the habit of leaving stuff lying around get used to living in messy spaces. And a messy space makes us all more relaxed about making more messes. Keeping things picked up in real time actually prevents other messes.
#3: kids who are asked to clean up a room other people have destroyed feel resentful, but when we honor and reward personal accountability, they are motivated to take care of their own things.
When I told TJ about this great new idea, he kind of laughed. He said that it was actually a great idea, even though his initial reaction was, "Another brilliant plan to get the kids to do their chores?" And he's right. I do come up with a new plan, complete with a spreadsheet and a fun visual tracker, every six months or so. But I've come to believe that when it comes to family chores, novelty is my very best friend. New plans don't mean that there was something wrong with the old ones--it just means they've served their purpose and it's time to move on. So if now is the right moment for your family to move on, good luck! And have fun designing the new spreadsheet. It really is the best part!
We're getting ready by rooting our kids out of bed a little earlier every day, and this year I've decided that I really can't start home school until we have chores back in place. I've discovered by sad experience that throwing a new schedule at the kids all on one day usually results in huge melt-downs--and the kids are unhappy, too. :) So this year we're learning chores this week, the schedule next week, and the following week we'll actually add studying. (Home school has its perks, eh? I make my own rules.)
My kids know how to clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, put away laundry, do basic lawn care, wash windows and even organize areas that are messy. The only problem is...they don't know how to do any one of those those things extremely well. Ahem. I'm great at barking orders, keeping the family on a schedule, and getting the house in decent shape. But I'm not good at follow-through with the kids. My philosophy so far on kids and chores has been--and I think it's a good one--windows that are washed only somewhat well today by one of the kids are better than windows washed perfectly by me...someday.
We're ready to take it to the next level this year though, and I'm so excited. This year I'm cutting down on what I ask of them, and requiring quality work. So instead of asking for them to clean up after each other, I'm asking them to clean up after themselves. Short term, I might be doing more of the chores around here, but long term I plan on them helping with more as they master the basics.
Stewardships
It's not all about re-branding dreary old "chores" into shiny new "stewardships"--although I am pretty proud of doing that. I remember my parents re-branding stuff all the time. We saw right through it all, of course, but semantics matter! You can't resist the positive force of positive words!
The best part of this new system is that it teaches accountability, which admittedly has not been our strongest suit. So here are the SHINY NEW STEWARDSHIPS.
Laundry:
In the past, every day a different kid would fold and put away laundry--any which way. As long as it landed in a drawer, I didn't complain too loudly; and because I didn't know which child was responsible for my disaster of a linen closet, I really couldn't complain. Now, I sort each child's clothing into his or her own basket, and they're in charge of putting it away. Neatly. And because they know no one else will be messing with their drawers, they are more motivated to keep them tidy. My awesome husband put extra shelves in the laundry room to make room for all the baskets. So they get one stewardship point for an empty laundry basket, and another for neat drawers.
Bathroom:
The kids used to share a tube of toothpaste, and Ezra especially hated the mess everyone else made of it. I remember growing up the oldest of eight, I would have killed for my own tube of toothpaste. So I got a seperate one for each child and labeled it, as well as labeling an individual little box for it to go in. Their floss and toothbrush also go in their little box. So tidy! They get one stewardship point for not leaving any belongings out in the bathroom, including clothes on the floor or stuff on the counter.
Belongings:
Each child is now responsible for putting away his or her belongings. Such a novel concept! I check every room in the house, including their bedrooms, which should be tidy with beds made. They get a point for a clean bedroom, and a point for not leaving belongings in any of the other rooms.
Morning Chores:
Ezra takes care of his lizards
Eliza wipes down the bathroom sink, counter and mirror
Naomi vacuums one room
Paul takes out the garbage
Isaiah wipes down the toilet seat
They get one point each.
Follow Through!
The best part of this deal is that I've planned a time for checking up. This teaches accountability! (For me, too.) Every day after breakfast I walk through the house and make little tally marks for each point accumulated on my handy-dandy chart. They can let these build up over the weeks for a big prize or (as has so far been the case) blow it all every day on a half-hour of iPad time. Either way, everybody's happy.
Here is what they can buy with their stewardship points.
5 points = 1/2 hour screen time
25 points = 1 candy bar
50 points = 1 late night with friends OR a date with Mom and Dad
The points are written in dry erase marker, so when they spend them, we just erase them.
There are a few really great principles at work here.
#1: kids will have privileges because we're nice parents. We might as well make those privileges work for us.
#2: mess begets mess. Kids in the habit of leaving stuff lying around get used to living in messy spaces. And a messy space makes us all more relaxed about making more messes. Keeping things picked up in real time actually prevents other messes.
#3: kids who are asked to clean up a room other people have destroyed feel resentful, but when we honor and reward personal accountability, they are motivated to take care of their own things.
When I told TJ about this great new idea, he kind of laughed. He said that it was actually a great idea, even though his initial reaction was, "Another brilliant plan to get the kids to do their chores?" And he's right. I do come up with a new plan, complete with a spreadsheet and a fun visual tracker, every six months or so. But I've come to believe that when it comes to family chores, novelty is my very best friend. New plans don't mean that there was something wrong with the old ones--it just means they've served their purpose and it's time to move on. So if now is the right moment for your family to move on, good luck! And have fun designing the new spreadsheet. It really is the best part!
2 comments:
This so sounds like me!! In the past I would spend hours making a cutesy new chore chart only to have it last for a short time, then get rid of it. I've learned simple is better and that it's okay to change it up every once in awhile! Kids are growing and changing. I think I might have to steal your idea and see how it works for us!
*Kim
Haha! I actually thought about posting the chore chart I made two years ago, which is so cute I still can't bear to take it down--even though it's been out of service for a year and half!
-Kari
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