Lately I have been worried about the fact my kids really don't know how to work. That scripture about "the sins of the children being upon the heads of the parents" keeps coming to my mind. I know it's my responsibility to teach them, but how? Over the years there have been some small successes, but I've been realizing that Nelson will soon be 11 and I really don't expect him to do enough (in my opinion). We have slowly been stepping it up. Over the last month or so I've been doing better with making sure each kids does something to help with dinner. Then, this week after they got their homework done they had to do 3 jobs before doing anything fun. These jobs have not been too hard and it they stayed on task were completed in less than ten minutes. Now for the reason I decided this was all worth a post. Today, as usual our house was a mess! I was going to start cleaning myself when I decided today would be a great day to get the kids to help. I made them each a list. They were given two rooms and then I broke the room down into specific chores that they needed to do to get the room clean. I usually have them clean this way, but I've never written it down. Usually I give them a job like, clean under your bed. They go do that and come back for another job. This goes good for a few times, but it never fails, either they stop coming back to ask what to do next, or everyone gets frustrated because it takes me so long to answer all the kids and go look to see what I should have them do. This time on their list there was a box by each small job to check off and when all the boxes were checked the room should be clean. Each older kid had two complete rooms to clean. It was amazing! We had the house picked up, dusted, swept, and vacuumed in an hour, and I didn't do it myself!! Who knows if it will work this well again, but we had success today!
Macey liked this because she can stay on task and get her jobs done quick! Usually she ends up doing more because she is fast so I keep asking her to do something else. This time once she had all her check marks she was done!
Annie did good too. She liked having her own list and even added to it!
Kambree was our biggest success. She is my one that never comes back for her next job. She got her list done this time. An added bonus...she had to use her reading skills to figure out what to clean next.
Nelson did great. Nelson had learned to beat the last system. He would just take forever to make his bed or pick up his clothes so he wouldn't be asked to do something else. This time he had to finish his list.
This was Nelson's list.
6 comments:
I have the same problem here- ask my kids to help with one thing- and I get- why do I have to do everything! I have been thinking of making lists- now I know I need to do it! hopefully it will work here too.
I have a list here...send your kids over! Actually, we did the lists all the time. It is the only way I can actually hold my kids accountable. They have to sign their names after their entire list is checked off. My favorite thing to do is leave a long list on the counter whenever I leave to run errands. I usually tell the kids to have it all done when I get home and to initial the boxes of the chores they did. It works great and I am able to praise them appropriately. Yeah..for a clean house!! I hope it lasts at least until tomorrow!
That's great. I've been thinking about work at our house, too. I have great hopes for the summer!
Why doesn't Nelson get a cute clipboard? Is it like how it was when we were growing up, you want to be the first one to get to pick a job so you can vacuum the hall.
The hall, we all fought for the square.
Okay, I'm totally inspired now, Karalee. I often feel like my kids don't do enough...I will start making lists!! We miss you around here. Hope all is well. You are a wonderful mother.
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