Making our lives easier...

While we're still (kind of) in back-to-school mode, I wanted to share a few things that I've implemented with my kids that have really helped to keep all of us on track...

Morning checklists: I used Command™ hooks on our front door to hang cheap-o dry erase boards that I happened to find in each of the kids' colors (so they know which one is theirs at a glance).  I glued a little ribbon on the back to make it easy to hang up.  On school nights (or in the morning if I spaced it out the night before), I quickly run through what each kid needs to do to be ready to leave for school.  I generally write it all out once at the beginning of the week, then just re-draw the check boxes daily.

Breakfast choices: I printed two 3x5 note cards, one with breakfast entrees and one with fruits.  If we have another kids of fruit or maybe leftover french toast, I just stick a post-it note by the other choices.  The kids stick their magnets (again, in their colors) on their choice before bed every night.

This makes my mornings *soooo* much easier!  I can do minor prep the night before and breakfast is usually on the table by the time the kids get up (I try to get up half an hour before them....  when I can...)

Snack choices: Again, I printed on a 3x5 note card.  Then I used a sheet protector to "laminate" it so that the kids can use the magnetic dry erase marker (that's next to it) to mark off what they've had.  (Note: veggie snacks are unlimited, it's just on the check list to make sure that they take at least one)

Our weekday schedule: This one is the big one...  I sat down one day and wrote out usual weekday schedule.  Then I added pictures, printed it up and stuck it on the fridge.  We use a little magnet to keep track of where we are in the day.  (I also have alarms set for most of our evening stuff)

...Here's what our schedule looks like:

6:30 wake up

7:00 breakfast

7:45 leave for school

8:00-11:15 Mom's housework time

11:20(ish) Ollie gets dropped off at bus stop

12:00 lunch

12:30 Ollie's play time

1:00 Ollie's homework time

2:00 Ollie's nap time

3:00(ish) girls come home/snack time/play time

4:00 girls' homework time

5:00-5:30 kids' housework time

5:30 kids' t.v. time/play time

6:00 play time

6:30 dinner

7:15 kid #1 showers (other kids read)

7:30 kid #2 showers (other kids read)

7:45 kid #3 showers (other kids read)

8:00 bedtime/grown up reads

8:30 lights out!

...I'm realizing as I writing that this all looks a little overboard, but I have to say that, as a mother of three who also has ADD, it *really* helps me.  Like A LOT.  It seems to help the kids, too...  plus, they think it's fun to check things off and move their magnets.  

Would you try any of this, or do you think I'm crazy?  (haha)

How do you keep your family on track?

Punch card reward system...

In a recent post, I mentioned another reward system for big jobs that they don't complain about and jobs outside of the house (like helping Kitty Gramma clean up around her house or emptying Miss Nikki's dishwasher).  The funny thing is, a few days after introducing this system, I saw basically the  same idea on Pinterest!  I didn't pin it since I had already done it, but I thought the coincidence was pretty funny...  great minds think alike, I suppose... or, you know, take inspiration from the eyebrow threading booth at the mall.

So, what is it?  

It's a punch card system!

They get ten punches and they get to pick something from the bucket!

The rewards!!!

(Don't tell the kids that most of it is from the dollar store.

What isn't is stuff that I've come across while cleaning)

The kids LOVE it.  *And* they get to choose from a prize bucket at home or one at my best friend's house.  HUGE motivator.

Try it.  It works on my kids, let me know if it works on yours.

My kids' current chore chart...

...I've posted about chore charts before...

...and I've shared newer ones on Instagram...

...and let's not forget our reward system...

Well, I finally seem to have found something that works...  The chores themselves have stayed pretty much the same, and the penny jars are still in place, but trial and error has given way to the latest incarnation of our family's chore chart:

...I got the idea here...

This one was a crazy amount of work (which has made me more likely to enforce it, given the amount of effort that went into making it).  Sawing the wood... sizing, tracing and painting the lettering...  painting the hooks...  designing, printing, stickering, "laminating" and outlining the tags...  etc.  Yeah, LOTS of work.

So, here's how it works...  each child has two hooks -one for chores that they need to do, and one for the chores they've already done.  The tags have a chore and a corresponding picture on the front and stickers representing the value of the chore; one sticker = one cent (for now...  doing it this way should make it easy to give the kids "raises" in the future).  Some tags are outlined in each of the kids colors, which makes it easy for me to pick out whose tags are whose, while others stayed white so I can hand them out to anybody.  When they've finished a chore, they move it down.  Simple concept.  The extra hooks on either end are for any extra chores that I'd like done, but don't expect to be done...  it gives them a chance to earn a little more if they want to.  At the end of the day (or the next day), while I set up the next day's chores, I look at count up the stickers they've earned and pay each child accordingly (payments go into their penny jars).

Here's a list of their chores (and how many stickers they have on the back)...

     These are the ones that each of the kids have and are expected to do every day:

• pick up your bedroom (1)
  
  
• pick up your stuff (throughout the rest of the house) (1)
• make your bed (1)
• put your laundry down the laundry chute (0)

     Each of the kids have these, but they're not necessarily daily chores for them:

• load dishwasher (2)
• empty dishwasher (2)
• wash/dry laundry (2)
• sort laundry (2)
• fold/put away laundry (2)

     This one is for Moo:

• practice violin (0)

     These are the ones they take turns doing:

• take out garbage (2)
• take out both bathroom garbages (2)
• take out recycling (2)
• sweep kitchen (2)
• sweep living room/dining room (2)
• sweep O's room (2)
• sweep bathroom/hallway (2)
• sweep girls' room (2)
• sweep kitchen (2)
• swiffer living room/dining room (2)
• swiffer bathroom/hallway (2)
• swiffer girls' room (2)
• swiffer kitchen (2)
• swiffer O's room (2)
• feed Fluffy morning (1)
• water fluffy morning (1)
• feed fluffy evening (1)
• water fluffy evening (1)
• litter box (3)
• scrub toilet (2)
• scrub tub/shower (3)
• wipe bathroom (2)
• wipe light switches/doorknobs (1)
• wipe dining table/benches (2)
• set table for dinner (2)
• clear/wipe both living room tables (2)
• dust living room (2)
• dust dining room (2)
• dust O's room (2)
• dust girls' room (2)
• straighten couches (1)
• fold/put away laundry that isn't yours (3)
• help with organizing (2)

I know it's a big, long list but they generally don't have more than one or two chores on top of their daily stuff.  We've been doing this for a couple of months and it's really been working well.  

In addition to this, I've introduced another reward system for big jobs that they don't complain about, jobs outside of the house (like helping Kitty Gramma clean up around her house or emptying Miss Nikki's dishwasher)...  but I'll post about that another day (I think this one is wordy enough already).

What kind of system works in your house?