Well as I have been reporting, we are makin plenty o' changes to our lifestyle in preparation for a sucessful school year. We are working on chores and what this means, and how we can take the anger and negativity out of taking care of ourselves and our home! I do not like nagging and I do not like having to follow each child around and tell them how to do everything in life. The charts take it off of me and onto them and they can take a chart, go do it, then come back to me and say Mama! I'm done!
I have immensely enjoyed making little charts for us all, because I adore making simple drawings and I adore making instructional types of things. I am going to laminate these all once they are perfected and have them up in the hallway in a pocket folder or something.
We are also thinking about having jurisdictions, as swiped from the Duggars (the family on TLC that has 16 children--whether you think they are sickos or heroes, they do run a nice home!) which would be specific jobs that one child has that they always are in charge of. I am using the charts and overseeing the children somewhat, and am taking mental notes of who really seems to shine (haha) at certain tasks. Greta did 8 loads of laundry yesterday and seemed extremely into it, so even though we have a laminated chart for this chore, she might just end up being Laundry Person. We will see.
Since I was brilliant enough to buy "Scrubbing Bubbles" last night, which I remember from my own childhood as being absolutley as thrilling as whipped cream to spray, doing the bathroom was super fun this morning and Greta, Mickey, and Casey scoured and sprayed and shined for 45 minutes---without any squabbling, they even did the walls and floors, too! Toxic fume fun! (Yes,we opened the windows and stored out of reach)
3 comments:
Excellent system. Also, you've managed to keep your sweet illustration skills secret all this time?! I'm totally calling on you when I decide to write a web comic.
Does Greta want to come help me conquer my own Laundry Mountain!?
Very cool. I like the illustrated chart - I might just have to borrow that idea :-)
And -- look how happy they all look to be CLEANING!
Oh, Sgt Howie, you did not know that my LIFE is drawing??? I draw and draw and draw all day! It is literally one of my favorite things! I used to sit in school and draw along the edges so much of my notebook pages that there was about 4 inches left for taking notes :O
Mostly I was trying to make my friends laugh! I have made about 30 little kids books, ranging from instructional to just plain rediculous. I would crave to draw a comic or to do voices for a cartoon.
Trish--Greta probably does want to do your laundry mountain! For some reason the happy little lists helped. they never wanted to help before, and I was so horrified, dissapointed and irritated that I just "did it myself then--hmph!" and that was creating extremely bad vibes in the home of me being resentful and them being sort of lazy and entitiled and non-contributors and only consumers...
Ill definately keep this thread updated, also, maybe would could do work-share with the kids! Swap kids for different cleaning attacks--I never introduced paying them into the equation at this point, but I do have a fat coin jar in the kitchen, hehehe
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