Showing posts with label kid's chores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid's chores. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Seven Blessings & Counting, plus chores and more!!
We had our seventh child in May 1014, and thought maybe that was then end of our crew (though I truly hope it wasn't), and then God blessed us again with this new pregnancy. So now in 3 short months in early January 2017 we will be parents of 8 blessings!! Our children ages then will be Nathan 16, Clayton 14, Samuel 11, Sarah 9, Anna 6, Benjamin 5, and Daniel 2. Our children are quite spaced out due to our 2 miscarriages, as well as our own attempts at family planning in the early years which I regret now. I am so happy and truly blessed with our awesome crew that we do have though! And having older ones to help out is a huge blessing.
I can tell you what makes these older ones of mine a big help, diligent workers, and a blessing to us, is the early training. Now I can't say I did very well in that area by no means, but they did learn to do their chores and work hard just the same. These younger ones now are a different story, since they haven't needed to start helping out at a younger age they are not near as capable of doing what these older ones were doing at their age. Starting chores at an early age is so important to help develop a routine to work and a love to work. So now I am trying my hardest to get these younger ones started helping out more, and assigning them regular chores.
I have just recently came across some really good books that are excellent in the area of little ones and chores. They are called Mangers of Their Homes, and Managers of Their Chores, by Steven and Teri Maxwell. I highly recommend these. They are chock full of helpful information on scheduling and getting the children doing chores. You can visit their web-site at www.titus2.com They have many helpful recourses on their web-site, and many other great books too that they have written.
One of the things they used was a chore pack. It was clip on plastic pouch which was inserted with various chores and responsibilities for the day for each child. ( 4 of these come with the book Mangers of Their Chores) I decided to do that for Sarah, Anna, and Ben to help to get them a daily chore routine started, and so they know exactly what is expected of them and when. So I made each of them a chore pack with the selected chores in them in the order they are to do them when they wake up in the morning.
Here is an example of Sarah's chore pack for the mornings: the one in the front of her pack numbered 1 says wake up, get dressed, and comb hair, # 2 make bed, # 3 says breakast and breakast clean-up, # 4 Family Bible Time and brush theeth, # 5 start school, and # 6 sweep kitchen ( which she usually does on her first break in school ). That is her morning routine. She does chore # 1, then clips the chore pack on her shirt placing # 1 to the back, then does # 2 and places it to the back, then out to the kitchen she comes. She is happy to appear out in the kitchen neatly dressed with nicely comb hair and proudly wearing her chore pack, and happy that her bed is already made not needing to return to make it later. This is a huge step-up for her!! We have started this just for one week, and this week has gone very successful with her doing her things. Now the younger 2 of mine not so much. Seems the novelty of the chores packs wore off very quickly for them, and I have to really be on them as to what they are to do next.
Sarah's next chore pack ( same chore pack but separately numbered chore cards) is the evening one and starts after supper. Since her school goes till late in the afternoon, she only has about an hour or so between school and supper time, so that is just free time for her. I may occasionally ask her to do something or to help me, but it is not scheduled or in an after noon chore pack. So her evening chore pack goes like this: # 1 Supper and after meal clean-up, # 2 Free Time and walk Dogs ( which this chore will soon change, it is only while we are on our month here in Texas that the children are walking my brothers dogs every evening), # 3 evening Family Bible Reading, # 4 Evening snack and clean-up after wards, # 5 wash up for bed and brush teeth, # 6 get in bed, prayer time, and lights off. All her chores are put to the back upon completing the task, so then her chore pack is all set and ready for her to wake up in the morning!!
I am very happy about this new thing I have started and do hope it will help these younger ones to be more responsible and helpful than they have been. The older ones are so efficient in what they do. They know what to do and do it with out complaint. For dishes Clayton does breakfast, Sam does lunch, and Nathan does supper. They also all pitch in to help with the after meal clean-up, which now I am trying to pass that on more just to the younger ones. The older ones now have much more responsibilities out doors. My goal this winter is to get the younger ones doing dishes, giving the older ones a break on that. Infact they will have to take over the lunch dishes completely since Sam who does lunch dishes will begin attending school outside the home at the end of September. Sam's school was consuming a lot of my time every day since he still needs quite a lot of help, which then cut down considerably the time I had to help Sarah and Anna with their school, so with much prayer and consideration we felt he and I both would do better this year with him attending a near by school.
With new baby arriving smack in the middle of the school year in January this should be a great help to us all. The birth of a new baby always throws things off a bit, but this baby even more so. If it is as the Dr. has told us from him viewing the sonograms ,this baby will have some brain defects. That will mean slower mental development I guess, or what could be called special needs.
I know our God is more than capable of completely healing and changing what the DR.s have seen on the sonograms so far, yet here before our baby is born,( many prayers are going up on our behalf ) but if not I am not one bit worried either. I know our God who has seen fit for us to have this baby will also equip us for the task of caring for our sweet baby no matter what! I have no qualms at all. I do though want to know all the information that Dr.s can tell us on what to expect concerning what is up with baby. At this next appointment on Oct. 4th, they should be able to tell us more they have said. They have us going to a big hospital in Edmonton. To me if the Doctors are right it is a good idea to know all we can, and if they are wrong then all the better! ~God's Will be done. And to Him be all the Glory, Amen!!
In Him, Mae
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
chores for little ones
It's high time to reprogram who is to do what chores around here.
I am sure all mom's go through this.
First you train your oldest ones to do certain chores when they have reached an aproperaite age for that chore. And at first it is amost easier to do it your self than take the time to show them. Yet you know that after they learn how, they can do it on their own, and will be such a big help to you.
So you plug on teaching them and training them the ins and outs and how it's done. Soon the bigger ones are doing these chores and do them it well. You know you can count on them.
Then in a blink of an eye you soon have little ones that are not so little anymore, and in fact are now at the exact age if not older than the oldest ones were when they were taught these chores. But they can't do a thing. They were not taught because you had older ones to do it. ( i am speaking for my self here)
That's the case with me right now. I have my oldest boys, ages 10 and 8, that have been doing chores for years. They are so good and obedient at doing what they are told. Plus they have several things they know to do daily with out being told.
So their 5 1/2 year brother has not been doing chores and don't like to do anything when he is told. Oh, he will once in awhile, but not on the most part. He just wants to be playing and having fun when his school is done. And he complains, "awe, do i have to?" "All by my self?" " Why can't Nathan or Clayton help me?"
So now i have to take the time to instruct another child to do chores. Instruct, supervise, and make sure it gets done. It's back to where it's almost easier for me to do it my self, or continue to get the older ones to do it.
But i know it is so very important and vital for the whole family that he learns. He needs his own set of chores to do. He needs to be responsible.
So this is the latest task ahead of me.
Anyone reading this have great suggestions and tips for me? Any helpful ideas at getting my little ones that are not so little to do chores?
I guess my 3 year old needs to start chores too?
I know, the advice giver is begging for advice. lol!! (have pity on me will ya)
I am sure all mom's go through this.
First you train your oldest ones to do certain chores when they have reached an aproperaite age for that chore. And at first it is amost easier to do it your self than take the time to show them. Yet you know that after they learn how, they can do it on their own, and will be such a big help to you.
So you plug on teaching them and training them the ins and outs and how it's done. Soon the bigger ones are doing these chores and do them it well. You know you can count on them.
Then in a blink of an eye you soon have little ones that are not so little anymore, and in fact are now at the exact age if not older than the oldest ones were when they were taught these chores. But they can't do a thing. They were not taught because you had older ones to do it. ( i am speaking for my self here)
That's the case with me right now. I have my oldest boys, ages 10 and 8, that have been doing chores for years. They are so good and obedient at doing what they are told. Plus they have several things they know to do daily with out being told.
So their 5 1/2 year brother has not been doing chores and don't like to do anything when he is told. Oh, he will once in awhile, but not on the most part. He just wants to be playing and having fun when his school is done. And he complains, "awe, do i have to?" "All by my self?" " Why can't Nathan or Clayton help me?"
So now i have to take the time to instruct another child to do chores. Instruct, supervise, and make sure it gets done. It's back to where it's almost easier for me to do it my self, or continue to get the older ones to do it.
But i know it is so very important and vital for the whole family that he learns. He needs his own set of chores to do. He needs to be responsible.
So this is the latest task ahead of me.
Anyone reading this have great suggestions and tips for me? Any helpful ideas at getting my little ones that are not so little to do chores?
I guess my 3 year old needs to start chores too?
I know, the advice giver is begging for advice. lol!! (have pity on me will ya)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Firdays at my house....
.... finds us all running around here busy as bees doing our weekly cleaning!!
Firday is the day each week I do all the majour house cleaning and prepare for the Sabbath, usually do exrta cooking as well.
My weekly cleaning consists of sweeping and moping, vacuming the couches ( though sadly we don't end up doing it every week)Clean the bath room throughly ( bathtub, sink, tolits) sweep and tidy the porch, dusting, kids tidy up thier room, and all toys and books are picked up in living room.
I make a list of all chores to be done and the boys, mostly just the 2 oldest at this point, begin choosing a job and hurry to do it. They do all they can and I finish up the rest, like the bathtub, final cleaning around tolits, making sure the couches are vacumed good, and sweeping (thats a big job, because its the whole house). After I sweep the kids mop.
Also all reminging laundry is did up, and the kids fold the clothes and put them a way. I do laundy every other day so this is usually not that much, but thats when I do alll the towels.
I don't do the ceiling fans weekly by no menas ( more like every couple months), but when I do them they are done on Firday as well. And the windows when they need done.
Also the cleaning of our van ( about evey other week on that).
I like the weekly cleaning ,( not the actuall work of course) but the fact that there is a day that I know things are going to get cleaned. I can relax during the week because I know its all going to be tooken care of on Firday. We acutally call the Friday cleaning our Firday chores! Thats what we called them growing up as a child when we did the weekly cleaning also.
So since we use Firdays to clean and prepare for Sabbath, I try to cut out anything eles on that day. I try very hard not to make a trip to town, though sotimes an appoinment will fall on that day, or a last mintue arrend needs to be run.
And a new exciting thing I have just recently cut out on Firdays is school!!! Of course school is over for the summmer now, but just 3 weeks before my last son was done, I came up on this wonderful thing!!
So heres how I do now, school is done Sunday - Thuresday. Firday and Sabbath is our off days. Extra work that I would put off for Sunday because of lack of time on Firday is now moved to Firday, like the van.
And Firday is not stressful for me anymore!! I use to try to cram school, cleaning, and extra cooking all on that day, and it wore me out. I would totally dread Firdays. Not no more!! I can not belive I did not come up with this years ago!
So bring on the Fridays, I got 'em covered!!
( I plan to talk more about our new school schudele in another post.)
Firday is the day each week I do all the majour house cleaning and prepare for the Sabbath, usually do exrta cooking as well.
My weekly cleaning consists of sweeping and moping, vacuming the couches ( though sadly we don't end up doing it every week)Clean the bath room throughly ( bathtub, sink, tolits) sweep and tidy the porch, dusting, kids tidy up thier room, and all toys and books are picked up in living room.
I make a list of all chores to be done and the boys, mostly just the 2 oldest at this point, begin choosing a job and hurry to do it. They do all they can and I finish up the rest, like the bathtub, final cleaning around tolits, making sure the couches are vacumed good, and sweeping (thats a big job, because its the whole house). After I sweep the kids mop.
Also all reminging laundry is did up, and the kids fold the clothes and put them a way. I do laundy every other day so this is usually not that much, but thats when I do alll the towels.
I don't do the ceiling fans weekly by no menas ( more like every couple months), but when I do them they are done on Firday as well. And the windows when they need done.
Also the cleaning of our van ( about evey other week on that).
I like the weekly cleaning ,( not the actuall work of course) but the fact that there is a day that I know things are going to get cleaned. I can relax during the week because I know its all going to be tooken care of on Firday. We acutally call the Friday cleaning our Firday chores! Thats what we called them growing up as a child when we did the weekly cleaning also.
So since we use Firdays to clean and prepare for Sabbath, I try to cut out anything eles on that day. I try very hard not to make a trip to town, though sotimes an appoinment will fall on that day, or a last mintue arrend needs to be run.
And a new exciting thing I have just recently cut out on Firdays is school!!! Of course school is over for the summmer now, but just 3 weeks before my last son was done, I came up on this wonderful thing!!
So heres how I do now, school is done Sunday - Thuresday. Firday and Sabbath is our off days. Extra work that I would put off for Sunday because of lack of time on Firday is now moved to Firday, like the van.
And Firday is not stressful for me anymore!! I use to try to cram school, cleaning, and extra cooking all on that day, and it wore me out. I would totally dread Firdays. Not no more!! I can not belive I did not come up with this years ago!
So bring on the Fridays, I got 'em covered!!
( I plan to talk more about our new school schudele in another post.)
Monday, June 28, 2010
growing dishes!
If you have read the post, kids and chores, you willl see its been just recent that i have offiaclly estabilished the 2 older boys help for regular dishes chores. I do the breakfast dishes, Clayton does lunch, and Nathan does supper. But we all help with cleaning the table and putting away the way the food.
But as you know some children( and Adults too) love to put off thier work for later. So Clayton started doing that, and I wouldn't mind just as long as they were done in a reasonable time in the afternoon.
Well one of those days this past week as he put his dishes off for later, I came along and descided it was time they were done.
So he gets up there and begins. But hes itchy somwhere from bug bites so he stops and scartches, then I believe his fooot hurt, then he had to add some ice to a cup where he had his color changing car. It was one thing after the next and the dishes were not getting done. Though he would have had them done already if he had just dug in and did them.
Then Dady announces that he needs to run into our local town and do a few arrends. Clyton askes if he can go, and Daddy said "yes", before i had a chanch to say, "no way"!!
As they pull out of the yard i comment to oldest son Nathan, "I would not have allowed that, he should not beeen able to go since he had been daddeling and not getting his dishes done, having to stay home would have been punishment". "And maybe next time he would have worked much quicker".
Then I started some baking and as i went along, the dishes began to GROW. By the time i finshed his dishes had grown quite a bit. Then a light bulb licked in my head, hey Clayton is getting punished after all for having daddeled and then run off right in the middle!
So they come home and I annouce to Clayton that he better wash his dishes in hurry now beofre they grow even more. He looks at the pile, and groans! He complains. But I explanin in a nice way that is what happens when dishes are not done emmediently, and yes, all of these are now his dishes. So he bigns and again though not the happiest boy.
Welll the next day he comes up to me and askes, " can i wash mine beofre lunch"?
I wondered for a second where that came from, then i knew! I was like wow, my plan worked it gave him an incinitive to do them Promtly and Quickly. he did not want no more Growing dishes!! :)
But he was a little too eager!! I told him he had to wait till after lunch!
Ever since that incident he has been washing them very quicly after we finsh eating.
Again yesterday he got a litttle carried away again though and jmped up after he and Sam finshed but there was still 3 of us eating, and washed the dishes and said, " I am all done, those will have to be left for supper"!!
Me and Nathan look at each other and think, what? That should not be allowed we think.
But then i am like, "no thas ok, I'll get the rest, go on".
But as you know some children( and Adults too) love to put off thier work for later. So Clayton started doing that, and I wouldn't mind just as long as they were done in a reasonable time in the afternoon.
Well one of those days this past week as he put his dishes off for later, I came along and descided it was time they were done.
So he gets up there and begins. But hes itchy somwhere from bug bites so he stops and scartches, then I believe his fooot hurt, then he had to add some ice to a cup where he had his color changing car. It was one thing after the next and the dishes were not getting done. Though he would have had them done already if he had just dug in and did them.
Then Dady announces that he needs to run into our local town and do a few arrends. Clyton askes if he can go, and Daddy said "yes", before i had a chanch to say, "no way"!!
As they pull out of the yard i comment to oldest son Nathan, "I would not have allowed that, he should not beeen able to go since he had been daddeling and not getting his dishes done, having to stay home would have been punishment". "And maybe next time he would have worked much quicker".
Then I started some baking and as i went along, the dishes began to GROW. By the time i finshed his dishes had grown quite a bit. Then a light bulb licked in my head, hey Clayton is getting punished after all for having daddeled and then run off right in the middle!
So they come home and I annouce to Clayton that he better wash his dishes in hurry now beofre they grow even more. He looks at the pile, and groans! He complains. But I explanin in a nice way that is what happens when dishes are not done emmediently, and yes, all of these are now his dishes. So he bigns and again though not the happiest boy.
Welll the next day he comes up to me and askes, " can i wash mine beofre lunch"?
I wondered for a second where that came from, then i knew! I was like wow, my plan worked it gave him an incinitive to do them Promtly and Quickly. he did not want no more Growing dishes!! :)
But he was a little too eager!! I told him he had to wait till after lunch!
Ever since that incident he has been washing them very quicly after we finsh eating.
Again yesterday he got a litttle carried away again though and jmped up after he and Sam finshed but there was still 3 of us eating, and washed the dishes and said, " I am all done, those will have to be left for supper"!!
Me and Nathan look at each other and think, what? That should not be allowed we think.
But then i am like, "no thas ok, I'll get the rest, go on".
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Kids and Chores
Its a very lovely morning here. Has not got hot for the day yet! Its 72F right now at 8:00 a.m, Hope it stays that way for awhile.
Still have 2 young ones in bed, so its not too busy around here yet. Laundrys going and breaksfast dishes done, atleast untill the others eat!! So got a mommnet to sit and use the commputer. Yea!! Don't get alot of those mommentts, so really got to take avandage of it when I do!!
I just recenly did somthing differnet concerning chores or atleast with the dishes. Yes, no atoumatic dish whaser around here, we have the really ones!!! I had been having the boys helping with the dishes for a long time now, but was not constant about it, just once in awhile when I was really needing help to get them done fast. I would wash and they would rinse, or ocsssionly I would have my oldest wash somtimes to free to me up. I also would have all the boys help with cleaning off of the table after meals. What a big help that is!!
Anyway what I just esabilished for the dishes is a set routine with someone in charge of each meal. I do the breakfast dishes and, I put Clyaton my 7 year old in charge of lunch dishes. We all help clean up the table and have everything ready to wash, and then he washes and rinses himself . He knows its his job and he has been doing it with out a complaint!! Thats great for him because he does tend to complain somtimes on work, espesially when he thinks he might be doing more than the others!
And Nathan I have in charge of the supper dishes and we do the same for him too, help clean the table and get everything all ready to wash. I can not belive how well this is working!! They are so coppertive about it . I guess it has to do with knowing excatly whats expected of them. No arguing about whos turn it is to wash or nothing.
Soon I will get my 5 year old to take over the breakfast dishes!!! Just kidding! But he can be huge help also, and I do some times have him help rinse dishes as well as 2 1/2 year old Sarah too!! She loves it! Of course when shes done, I have to mop the floor!!
The children have other chorses they help with tooo, ones they know is theres to do, and other I ask them to help with when needed. With the other chores I do not have a good set routine with them so don't they always go quite as smooth. I will see if I can come up with some kind of plan for them also.
I am so happy with the dishes though!! If some one ask me if we have a dish washer, I will answer, "Yes, I sure do. I know the norm is one, but I have 3 dish washers, and two more being recurted"!!
Well I better get off and see what all needs to be done on this lovely morning!!!
Ya''ll have great day!!!! Mae
Still have 2 young ones in bed, so its not too busy around here yet. Laundrys going and breaksfast dishes done, atleast untill the others eat!! So got a mommnet to sit and use the commputer. Yea!! Don't get alot of those mommentts, so really got to take avandage of it when I do!!
I just recenly did somthing differnet concerning chores or atleast with the dishes. Yes, no atoumatic dish whaser around here, we have the really ones!!! I had been having the boys helping with the dishes for a long time now, but was not constant about it, just once in awhile when I was really needing help to get them done fast. I would wash and they would rinse, or ocsssionly I would have my oldest wash somtimes to free to me up. I also would have all the boys help with cleaning off of the table after meals. What a big help that is!!
Anyway what I just esabilished for the dishes is a set routine with someone in charge of each meal. I do the breakfast dishes and, I put Clyaton my 7 year old in charge of lunch dishes. We all help clean up the table and have everything ready to wash, and then he washes and rinses himself . He knows its his job and he has been doing it with out a complaint!! Thats great for him because he does tend to complain somtimes on work, espesially when he thinks he might be doing more than the others!
And Nathan I have in charge of the supper dishes and we do the same for him too, help clean the table and get everything all ready to wash. I can not belive how well this is working!! They are so coppertive about it . I guess it has to do with knowing excatly whats expected of them. No arguing about whos turn it is to wash or nothing.
Soon I will get my 5 year old to take over the breakfast dishes!!! Just kidding! But he can be huge help also, and I do some times have him help rinse dishes as well as 2 1/2 year old Sarah too!! She loves it! Of course when shes done, I have to mop the floor!!
The children have other chorses they help with tooo, ones they know is theres to do, and other I ask them to help with when needed. With the other chores I do not have a good set routine with them so don't they always go quite as smooth. I will see if I can come up with some kind of plan for them also.
I am so happy with the dishes though!! If some one ask me if we have a dish washer, I will answer, "Yes, I sure do. I know the norm is one, but I have 3 dish washers, and two more being recurted"!!
Well I better get off and see what all needs to be done on this lovely morning!!!
Ya''ll have great day!!!! Mae
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