No one likes doing chores. I avoid the laundry piles. Ignore the dustbunnies. Walk past the stack of cans to go in the recycling bin. It is no surprise that my children do the same. I set out to change our habits by insisting my children do chores. It worked!
As a mom I spend many hours hunting, searching, sorting, cataloging, inventorying... Well, you get the idea. Suffice it to say I want to be able to find whatever it is that I am looking for whenever I want it. Period.
But here's the problem, I have three children who leave their belongings here, there, and everywhere around my house. Children who will kick their shoes in the general direction of the shoe bins, but not actually into the bins. Children who will leave their coats underneath the coat rack, but not actually hang a coat up.
So, why do I bother tidying and sorting if my children are going to make a mess anyway. Well, I do what I do in the vain hope that my children will follow my lead and actually clean up after themselves. I am a fairly optimistic person, but even I realize I am fighting an uphill battle and losing.
At the start of this school year, I gradually put in place a series of rules and regulations that I was determined my children would follow. This year is a huge year for me school wise as all three children are in full-day school. Last year my son was a precious 4-year-old who lived from snack to snack all day long while watching gavel to gavel coverage of Little Einsteins. This year I am cracking the whip -- I mean this figuratively, please don't call Child Protective Services on me! You see my son is 5 years old and in kindergarten, he needs to learn how to do chores. The uphill part of the battle is that I have daughters who are 10 and 12 years old who are not motivated to do chores due in large part to the fact that I have not been consistent in instructing my daughters in the fine art of chores and housekeeping.
In September, I set a plan in motion to get three rather lazy and unhelpful children to help me keep my house in order. My fiendish plan for the division of labor in my house is as follows (Disclaimer: This list is my dream. The reality is that sometimes I do the chores for my children, so that I can cross items off my list.):
1. Each child will strip the sheets from his or her bed on Saturday mornings. Beds must be made with a clean set of sheets. No clean beds = No activities
2. After dinner each night, one child will sweep the floor, while one child holds dustpan. The other child uses the dust buster on the remaining crumbs not picked up by sweeping. Many hands make light work.
3. Each child will pack his or her backpack each night before going to bed. Music cases with music folders will be placed beside backpacks. PE clothes needed for the next day will be placed inside the backpack. Everything has its place.
4. At bedtime each child will select clothes for the next day to save time in the morning. Sleepy children have a hard time finding matching socks.
5. My children do many activities after school. As a way to keep each person's items together, each child will place their sports items in a bag near the backdoor. In my daughter's volleyball bag, she has her knee pads, a water bottle, hair ties, a sweatshirt, and her volleyball shoes. My other daughter has a swim team bag which contains two pairs of goggles, a swim hat, a towel, and a swim suit. Ditto number 3.
6. To make lunch and snack preparation more streamlined, I will divide snacks in to Ziploc bags, so that a bags of snacks can be added to each lunchbox/backpack in the morning. An apple a day...
7. On trash day and recycling day, two children will drag our trash cans up the driveway and one child will do the same for our elderly neighbor. A friend in need...
8. The major occupier of the timeout step is my 5-year-old. I abolished the timeout step in favor of giving him chores to do. After putting every member of the family's shoes in the shoe bins, his behavior was much improved. You can teach an old dog new tricks...
9. I placed a dry erase board in each child's room listing my expectations for their bedrooms: floors will be clear of junk on vacuuming day, desks will be clear of stuff, dirty clothes will be placed in hamper, and clean clothes will be placed in drawers. A clean room leads a clean mind.
The list is not conclusive. We don't follow it every day. It simply provides a road map for keeping our house, and to some extent our minds in clean, working order.
I like this list. It seems simple, yet complete enough. Not unrealistic, but easy enough to keep up with. I may have to copy this for my kids. I think an almost 15-year old, a 12-year old and a10-year old can benefit from this list. And maybe I can start getting my almost 2-year old to start helping pick up the toys. (A mom can dream when one is entering the terrible twos that said child will cooperate occasionally)
Thanks for the info I'll add it.
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