The Homeschool Day: When Does It End!?

Welcome and thanks for stopping by to my little corner of the internet.  A little housekeeping note before my post today.  You can now follow me by email.  Just type in your email address over on the right and you will be notified when I publish a new post!  

So without further ado, here's my little ditty for today...

Ah...January is almost over.  Long days indoors, crazy weather patterns, and dark evenings are just not fun sometimes.  

However, we have been living at the library and we love it.  It is a great way to break those winter blues and get out of the house.  They have great programs for young children!  I'll admit that the songs, finger plays, egg shaker dances and first time parents hovering over their babies can get a bit overwhelming and well.... downright freaky at times......but it's about the children, right?   Carmen and John just loved, loved, loved the "Swing and Sway" program on Monday.  They danced and shook and sang and had a blast.  Emmett even found a nice place to get some independent work done and he did a great job!

Because of the days being so long and monotonous, it led me to wonder when the home school day actually ends.  It has been very hard for me to get used to this concept of being home and still "working" as a teacher.  My students never leave!  This is in stark contrast, of course, to my days before having children and working in schools with a scheduled day.  The bell rings and the children go home.   Not so in the home school.  I USED to go home after school to my cozy basement apartment, eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's, watch TV and fall asleep.  Um, now...

Let's just say it's different. 

I have realized the home school day actually doesn't end!  There is so much learning that takes place around the clock that the regimented school time is only just a small portion of that.  

And really, I live in a HOME SCHOOL now!  Should I really expect any less?  The name says it all. 

So no matter what your actual schedule for the day is, know that your children are learning around the clock. Sometimes just knowing that can make for an even more productive time together as a family.  

Happy teaching!  

We love Life of Fred  math books.  Here are Emmett and Carmen doing their practice work after we read the chapter.

This picture is what made me realize the home school day doesn't end.  Emmett is enjoying a Magic Tree House book after his official school work ended for the day.  He is not filling out a reading log, reading out of obligation or for some external reward.  He is just enjoying a book in the sun room and relaxing.  It was also the only day this week we could really even have the sun room open and there was warm sunshine!  

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Happy Pinkie Day!!

Thank you, again, to everyone who has been so supportive of this blog.  We are so grateful that you take time to stop by.  We are looking forward to the day we find another family with young children who have to live apart from a parent so we can share the Pinkie Day concept with them and be their "Pinkie Day Pals".

In today's post, before this week's Pinkie Day Episode, I am going to reflect a little...  I am reminded of a Saturday Night Live skit... Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey...get ready...it's deep  :)

I know there is a resolution to our family living apart.  Granted, it may be several years, but we don't plan on doing it forever.   I won't accept that our family has to live like this.  Yes, I will accept that it is a necessity right now, for years to come, even.  I understand that. However, where there's a will, there's a way!

What I am saying is, no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in, whether desirable or not, it can all change in just one moment.  Take the nightmare of cancer, for instance.  One minute, you can know a perfectly healthy and vibrant individual.  Five months later, that individual is lost a battle to cancer.  This happened to a man I knew who worked at the same school as me many years ago.  I just found out today that he passed away from terrible brain cancer in only 5 months time at only 60 years of age.  All ll I think of is George not getting to see his family every day and working so hard every day for his family.  What a blessing it is to be healthy.  What a shame it would be to live apart for so long and then one of us get sick or have some other tragedy.

 I am praying every day that our situation will change somehow.  It is only when we become doormats that things don't happen for us!  I know we have it good.  There are many ways in which the situation could be worse.  But tell that to a 1, 5 and 6 year old who miss their daddy.  Nothing could be worse in their eyes!  And that is why I have hope.

This Pinkie Day blog is one way to not be a doormat and just let a situation happen.  It is a way to bring about joy in my children and to keep spirits up during a very undesirable situation.

Last night before bed, Carmen was sitting on her bed with a sullen look on her face.  I asked, "What are you thinking about?"  She said, "I wish Pinkie Day was today and that I didn't have to sleep til Pinkie Day."  Seeing her love for Daddy come through is a joy to witness.  It is a celebration of family no matter what.  I held her hand and I said, "We're Daddy's girls, huh?"  And she smiled and fell asleep soundly.  These are special moments!

It is hard the next few weekends because George is working this and the next 2 Saturdays.  I have arranged a play date for the children today to keep them distracted while they wait for Daddy to come home.  They will love it!

For our Pinkie Day Pals, here is Emmett in Pinkie Day, Episode 6:

Happy Pinkie Day, everyone!  Have a great weekend with your families.

Attack of the Zombies

Here are the Zombies...

Here is the Wii....

This is what it looks like outside...

19 degrees

So can ya' blame me??!!

Ok, so that is my attempt at rhyming.  I think I have been in the house too long.  

Here is the breakdown for this week as far as activities go:

School:  20%

Sledding (aka P.E.): 80%

We had so much fun in the snow!  The area schools were closed most of the week and if they were open, they had 2 hour delays.  Well, our little home school was open, but we did not do as much work as normal.  It is quite strange for this former public school teacher to have a snow day and be living with her students!  

The big news this week is that Emmett and Carmen are such big kids now that they can go sledding all by themselves across the street.  Don't get me wrong, I went a couple of times and we have such a fast sled that I beat all the kids down the hill every time.  Now, I am sure it has nothing to do with my size, the sled really is fast. :)  As for John, he just LOVES the snow.  I could barely get all his gear on before he banged down the door to get outside.  We sledded in our back yard and he loved it and then I hauled his 35 pound butt (plus a few pounds of gear) across the street to sled on the golf course.  Well, we went down the hill ONE time because...

the snow was so powdery that as we were going down the hill, the snow blew up in our faces the WHOLE way down and when we stopped, John was shivering, mumbling and shaking!  I couldn't even see his face because it was a sheet of white snow!  Poor guy, I had to dig it out of his ears.  I felt like a child abuser!!  Now we have to get back up the hill and get home.  However, he would have gone down 10 more times!  He loved it!  

So no words of wisdom or advice this week.  The only thing I can think of is that it is cold.  Here's to warmer days, outside play and lots of learning!  

One more thing, perhaps the best of the week.  The children are fortunate enough to live next door to Aunt Margie, who makes donuts on snow days.  Yum!

Here are some more snow pictures from this week.  I wish I got some of them sledding, but I was too cold to remember the camera! 

Stay warm and thanks for stopping by! 

Not a Week for the Weak

What a week we have had!  The children were thrilled to be able to see Daddy every day this week, even if it was for a short time.  The saga of the truck troubles (or should I say "Troublesome Trucks", of Thomas the Tank Engine fame) has finally come to a conclusion!  We went to pick it up from the shop on Tuesday and the poor mechanic went to start it for him and, low and behold, the thing was dead.  It took a couple of more days and we picked it up yesterday and now it is purring like a kitten...well...one can dream, anyway!

I have decided to organize the Pinkie Day videos by episode.  I think this system will work nicely since the videos are on the same theme every week.  The children are having so much fun sharing with you!

Since I am utterly exhausted from living in a small apartment all week with two grown college VMI buddies (my husband and his roommate) and three children, I will make this post short!  Let's see, what else am I exhausted from? Mothers, can you relate? :)

Here goes...

• Going to the Chik Fil A hamster cage...oh...I mean, play area! 
• Going to the McDonald's play area 
• Going to the library
• Going to a different library
• Chasing John at the library
• Chasing John at a different library
• Chasing John at Mother Goose time at the library
• Chasing John down the street on our walk
• Teaching school to Emmett and Carmen
• Going to pick up the truck
• Going to pick up the truck again
• Going to have school at Panera Bread with Carmen
• Watching Star Wars Episodes 5 and 6 
• Falling asleep during Star Wars Episodes 5 and 6

Have you gotten the idea? Small apartment, BIG outings! 

Yes, I must admit that it was a Pinkie Day extravaganza all week!  But, oh, to see the happiness on my children's faces to know we are near Daddy...it makes it all worth it.

Here are your short and sweet Pinkie Day videos for this week.  If you only watch one, please watch John's.  His face is priceless when I mention Daddy's name...

The children and I had so much fun playing at the playground after story time today.

John's first time the spinny thing, a playground favorite.  Ugh, if they had this thing when I was growing up, then I might have just gotten sick every time I visited the park!

And here is a perfect ending to our week.

Now on to the next two whole days of adventures with DADDY!  Oh, and maybe a break for this Pinkie Day mom?  

Hope you all get some time with your families this weekend! 

Ideas for Boring Workbooks

Do you ever purchase curriculum with high hopes in the beginning of the year only to find out that it is not really a good match for your child a month later?  Well, I did that with Emmett's reading books this year.  I was so excited for him to do the traditional reading book!  Come to find out, he wasn't... 

I joke with him about how much I LOVED playing school as a child.  I mean, Legos?  Who cares??!! Let's do a workbook!! OK, so chances are Emmett won't become a teacher. :)

Rather than scrapping the whole reading program, I am making due and adjusting things a little bit so as to not give Emmett the notion that you can just toss something out if you don't like it.  I certainly will not order these reading books again, but it is not so bad that I have to throw the whole thing out.  Let me be clear that if I hadn't made changes to how we were doing things, this boy would HATE even the sight of a pencil! 

 

With that said, Emmett and I had a great time in school this week.  We were able to work one-on-one with few interruptions since we are in Richmond this week.  I have to say that my first born is really growing up.  It is hard to believe.  

When I taught kindergarten in public school, I wanted so badly to loop with my students.  Looping means that the teacher follows her students from grade K through grade 2 and then starts back again at kindergarten with a new class.  There are different variations of it, but click here for one teacher's explanation of the pros and cons of looping.  I tried to convince my principal that looping was a good idea.  I wanted to have a longer relationship with my students than one school year.  

Now here I am teaching my own children and I get to follow them all the way through their formative years of schooling.  I don't have to answer to a principal or teach to a test or follow a curriculum framework.  It is a dream!  To be able to watch them grow and learn and see light bulbs go on in those special moments is a gift to me as a professional educator.  Just today Emmett said to me with a "light bulb" look on his face, "You just taught me something new.  Now I won't spell words with a silent e wrong anymore."  

With exciting adventures in teaching and learning that take place every day, comes also the negative and boring pencil and paper work that boys so often despise.  Well, maybe "despise" is too gentle a word!  So, in working with Emmett, I have had an interesting time of changing things up and keeping things fresh.  With Emmett, in particular, I am focusing on spelling, grammar and writing this year.  Fun! Fun! Right?  Well, not so much!  It is so tough because he is such a young advanced reader, still only 6 years old.   Spelling is very much on a 6 year old level.  So when he sits down to do a workbook, his age really shows and his motivation and attention span decline.  What a deadly combination for a little guy!  

So my main idea in this blog post today is to encourage you to think outside the box when working with your student.  For example, pay attention to body language, age, maturity, interests, and personality.  All these factors play a significant role in whether or not the child is even growing in knowledge or just simply going through motions for whatever adult assigned the work.  Pay attention to what skills are being taught in a workbook.  Hone in on the ones your student needs.  By all means, DON'T make him do busy work for the sake of doing busy work.  

Ideas for making a boring workbook more fun:

• Use a highlighter-  When the directions say to underline or circle something, use a highlighter instead.  Children LOVE using highlighters.  I have no idea why, they just do.  Today, Emmett used his highlighter in his workbook and he loved it. 
• Use a timer-  sometimes I use the stopwatch on my phone or an egg timer.  Set it for 10 minutes and say something like, "Let's see how much you can get done in 10 minutes." No pressure, just a way to keep focused and on task.  Another idea along these lines is to say, "I am going to leave the room for a little while.  When I get back, you should be on number 5."  The point is to help them understand working independently and monitoring their work.
• Skip some parts or change something altogether-  go ahead...live on the wild side!!  If you are like me, then it is so hard to deviate from the directions.  After all, it is next to impossible to do that in a classroom full of students at various levels.  But what a luxury this is when working one-on-one with your student!  You are right there watching everything and constantly checking for understanding.  If there is already mastery of the skill evident in the first couple of problems, then put a big check mark on that section and move on.  It is very freeing for both teacher AND student!  In one case, with Emmett, I knew we were going to be writing sentences for his Martin Luther King, Jr. report, so I had him skip the sentence writing in his English book.  What a relief for him and what a great job his did on his little report.  I didn't overload him with mindless writing tasks just because they were in the the book.  The public school teacher in me has a difficult time with this concept!
• Do some of the writing for him/her-  In Emmett's 1940s Rod and Staff book, there is the same vocabulary page at the beginning of every story.  Now there is no question that a book originally published in the 1940s is outdated!  However, some things just never get old.  I like the content and objectives.  I like that stories and the morals and the life lessons that can be taught while reading them together and having discussions.  However, I must keep in mind that all that writing in the workbook was designed for a teacher with many students in a class. The goal was to spare him/her from interruptions during the class period.  So keep your goals in mind and don't make your student write just because the book is formatted in that way.  This is a tricky concept because you in NO way want the child to manipulate YOU into doing the writing for him!  You must be savvy and in control at all times. :) 
• Don't do boring workbooks!  There are so many resources out there.  Make sure you find the right one for you and your family or school.  The curriculum I put together for my children is a combination of new and old.  It is a bit eclectic all around.  I absolutely love designing their learning situation and then tweaking it here and there throughout the year. 

These are just a few of the the suggestions for working to improve motivation and diligence in your young learner.  Remember that once you see eyes roll, poor posture, or hear a loud sigh, chances are all the pencil and paper and pulling teeth will be for naught.  A content smile, a proud nod, and a hug go a much longer way!  Happy highlighting!  

Here is Emmett working at the library in Richmond.  He is using his little highlighter to identify consonant blends and digraphs.  Just using the highlighter rather than underlining and circling made the whole task so much less painful!

Here is a picture of Emmett after finishing his workbook pages.  I like his face much better than the face of that "wimpy kid" in the background! 

"You Have Your Hands Full!"

Last Thursday was my second time at story time with John at the library.   Before I go any further, let me just share that story time with a one year old is quite exhausting.  You wouldn't think it, but really, just experience it once.  It basically consists of a bunch of mostly new parents hovering over their babies singing in voices four octaves above their normal speaking voices and clapping hands and shaking feet.

John was more interested in running laps around the room than clapping his hands to patty cake.  But, if you ask me, 3 books and 20 finger plays for 0-2 year old age group is a bit much!  I was ready to break out the shakers and start dancing!  But we did use the shakers at the end for about 20 seconds.  John hugged a smaller child and knocked him over.  He fussed when they started singing.  He stole a helpless baby's sippy cup!  Oh the madness!  I felt like a new mom, but he does have an older brother and sister who are five and six years old! 

Now that story time is over, we move on to the next step, which is to check out books.  It would be safe to say that I really don't love the self check-out.  The librarian is sitting right there looking at her computer, but somehow I feel like I shouldn't bother her to check out our books.  I really need to work on that.  Anyway, for little families, I think it should be called, "group check-out."  Emmett and Carmen love it so I let them work on their independence while I stand there and look on and give verbal directions while holding John, my 35 pound bruiser.  See?  There is a group of us, not just my....self.. :)

Here are some things you might hear while we are participating in the "self check-out":

•  "Emmett, pick up the book, turn it around, push the button."
• "Emmett, that's not the library card, that's the Kroger card."
• "Emmett, start over."  
• "Carmen, wait your turn."  
• "Yes, you are a big girl, and can carry all those books."  
• "That is not the right bar code, it is the smaller bar code."  
• "Look at the top of the book, look at the back of the book, pick the book up off the floor." 
•  "Good job! You did it all by yourself!"
• "Print the receipt and let's get out of here!"
• "Go back and get the books, we forgot the books!!"  

Ahhh...Three children and a million books! I mean, how am I going to carry it all?  If I set John down he is off and running like a gazelle freed after being held up in a cage for a month.  I do have to give him credit, though.  I finally had to set him down because he weighs about as much as a mini refrigerator,  and he did stay put.  UNTIL, I started walking toward him to pick him up again, and he's OFF!  This whole time I am juggling things at book-check out, a woman is standing there by herself right near us holding one book and staring.  Then here it comes, the wonderful acknowledgment of the facts... she says...

 "Looks like you have your hands full."  Well, as my father used to say, "that is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer." (he loved words).

So, needless to say, when I got the ever-loved quote that every mother of two or more children loves to hear,  I was a bit frustrated.   Uh huh...looks like I do have my hands full.  Well, at the MOMENT, YES, I do, so would you mind helping me? Maybe pick up one of the books on the floor?  Maybe say my children are cute?  ANYTHING?  This comment that I get from people bothers me, can you tell?!  Any time anyone makes this comment I think of my own mother...her hands were full with 10 children!  What would people say to HER?  I think it was a different time back then.  People had more children and people were a bit more accepting of large families.  And I don't even have a large family, by any means!

Yes, I may have my hands full, but not with grocery bags, with humans... SMALL human people that I am doing my best to bring up and guide to become LARGE human people...which is why I was at the library for story time and checking out books in the first place.

Next time you see a "large" family out and about doing something productive, how about saying, "Wow, that's great that you are out and about doing something instead of using the TV as babysitter."  Or you could offer to hold the door or help in some way, instead of just staring.  I WILL admit that occasionally I DO have my hands full, but I just wouldn't have it any other way!

After the library debacle, I decided to take the children to the library playground to let them get their energy out since we were just coming off of the polar vortex weather event and were stuck inside for days.

There, now it is all better and we have good memories of the library.  Until it was time to leave and Carmen was having a tantrum and wouldn't get in the van.

There is always nap time, right?  I'll never be too old for nap time...

Having fun at the library playground watching a train go by

You can see the train across the field and my little caged gazelle inside the fence. :)

Pinkie Day Road Trip!

Hello to our Pinkie Day Pals out there in cyber world! 

We are so excited for our Richmond adventures this week! Since the story of George's car troubles is ongoing, we decided to take Pinkie Day on the road and spare him from having to borrow his roommate's car yet again.  Therefore, we will be in Richmond all week having school, going on field trips, to parks, and libraries.  So have a great weekend everyone, and enjoy every moment you spend with your families!

Below is your Pinkie Day video brought to you by an exited little girl getting ready to go see her daddy.

Little girls and tiny toys! What to do...

Well, thanks for stopping by!  I have no idea who you are but I am happy you are here!  Since I am new to blogging, I must share that it is a rather strange experience to now know who is passing by my little space here on the Internet.  I can see how blogging would absolutely NOT be suitable to certain personalities.  I am one who is a "sharer".  Share, share, share!  Can't share enough!  So, a much more private person would absolutely HATE the idea of blogging.  So share away, I will....

Do you have a little girl who receives tinier and tinier toys with each birthday milestone?  Out of desperation to get everything put away, do you just shove everything in a bin or in the corner like I often do?  Well, maybe this idea will help you out in some way or spark your creative juices and spur you on to another organizing idea.  In this case, it is for my 5 year old, Carmen.  Last week, I jumped on a good deal on a shoe organizer from a homeschooling friend.  From the first moment I saw the picture, I had no intention of putting shoes in it.  I thought, "Aha! a perfect organizer for her little toys that will store neatly under the bed."  She loves it.  

It serves as a parking garage for little vehicles, too.  In the little compartments, you will find her dollhouse furniture, castle furniture, fairies, little fairy and doll clothes (this was her brother's idea, he was so into the organizing that he started taking all the fairy clothes off and putting them in another compartment!), fairy castle furniture, ballerinas, and Strawberry Shortcake Market furniture and food.  By the way, those food items for the Itty Bitty Market certainly live up their name... they are ITTY BITTY!  You practically need a magnifying glass to see them.

Here is a picture of the shoe organizer neatly stored under the bed with all her tiny toys in it. 

Here is a picture of Carmen so proud to have all of her things organized.  I think her face says it all (but I am her mom, you may see something totally different looking at this picture!  Like that ugly sheet and bare box spring in the background...yuck!).

Here a few tips to keep in mind when organizing with your children:

• Always involve your child in the decision making process, BUT keep your boundaries.  Don't give in to every idea if it is not practical or how you want it to look.
• Use cute words, like "parking garage" for the little cars, and "home for the fairies," or "Strawberry Shortcake is going night-night," when putting toys in their compartments.  In other words, keep it fun for them, not just a clean up task that has to be done.
• Compliment your child and explain that the toys are so nice, now everything has a space and it will be easier to play with.  Always emphasize respect for belongings and pride in taking care of material things.  

Now in case I haven't given you enough tips, here is a little interview of Carmen, herself, explaining why it is important to organize your toys...

Happy New Year and Happy Organizing to you!  

A New Year, A New Pinkie Day

Happy New Year to all our Pinkie Day Pals out there in cyberworld! Hope you were able to have good, quality time with family and friends over these last two weeks of holidays.  We certainly had a great time at our house once Daddy finally got home.  Unfortunately, we couldn't make it to Tennessee or Northern Virginia to see extended family.  However, we got to spend time together at home and that was definitely special. 

And now on to the topic of this post.  In an earlier post, I mentioned how Pinkie Day can be flexible.  Well, in our family we just changed it and the children are adjusting really well.  George's work schedule changed recently so instead of leaving Sunday night, he now leaves Monday morning.  Therefore, since we see him on Mondays now (albeit for a short time) we start counting the days of the week on our thumb beginning at Tuesday instead of Monday.  So, when we get to the pinkie, it is Saturday, the new Pinkie Day! 
This may sound a bit ridiculous to the untrained ear, but believe me, when you are living it it makes all the difference!  Children find a great deal of their security in routine, repetition, and clear expectations.  The passing of time is a difficult thing for a child to grasp.  Add into the equation the longing to see an absent parent  and the child can simply melt down at the drop of a hat!

This is why I love the Pinkie Day concept so much.  As the mother at home holding everything together, I welcome every single thing that can help my children understand when they will see Daddy again.  It is difficult to watch the "missing" of him, but it's so comforting to know that the children are secure and confident about how it all works. 

If you know anyone who has an absent parent during the week for any reason, please share this blog.  Pinkie Day is not just about helping the children understand the routine.  It is also such a great help to me, the parent, while trying to navigate through such a sensitive,  difficult, and unavoidable family situation. 
We really hope to find other families who can benefit from this seemingly little idea. 

So if your family is all under one roof tonight, count your blessings.  If not, count on your fingers and know that you will be soon!  Happy Pinkie Day!

Below is your Pinkie Day video from 6 year old Emmett.  He shares his nuggets of wisdom with you, his Pinkie Day Pals, about our power outage today!   Enjoy!

Children's New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!!! 

As always, I am thinking how I can turn anything into learning and growing experiences for my children!  Soooo.... do you discuss New Year's resolutions with your children?  I have found that it is a good time of year to evaluate their chores and responsibilities at home.

Last week at dinner I decided to talk to the children about the new year and how it is a great time to start anew.  I explained to them about January being the first month of the year.  I showed them calendar and each month of the year.  We talked about how the months of the year keep repeating but the year keeps changing and moving forward. 

For example, 2014 is a big year for Emmett.  It is the year that he turns 7 and receives his first Communion. I talked with Emmett about how he is growing up and changing into a young man!  It is always a good idea to "conference" with your children and help them become more aware of their accomplishments and increasing responsibilities.  I have found that is really gives them a healthy sense of self worth and pride.  Self awareness is a very important quality to possess.

Another component of  our conference at dinner was about their responsibilities at home to themselves and their family.  One of the main inspirations for the chore lists came from Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace, Jr. program for children. We absolutely love Dave Ramsey and his suggestions for financial responsibility in the home.  Click HERE for more info about Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, Jr.  In short, there are 3 main ideas that my husband and I subscribe to from his program:

• Children earn commissions, not an allowance.  They contribute to working in the home and they earn money for work.  
• They don't earn commissions for EVERY chore they do in the home.  Some things they are asked to do just because they are part of a family and that is how a family works...TOGETHER.  
• A positive attitude and cheerful disposition is a must!  There is a way to learn the value of hard work while not complaining and griping!  (but this is a topic for another post. I could go on and on about it!)

When I was growing up, I had chore lists that my parents had the four youngest children to do on a weekly basis.  They were generic chores that rotated each week.  I felt like a little slave simply because I didn't understand the value of anything I was doing!  I remember HATING, well, LOATHING, the chores I had to do!  I do NOT want my children to feel this way about their chores.  After I became a wife and mother I realized what hard work it is to maintain a home!  

How I wish my mother were still alive today so I could talk to her about it.  One way I try to help this is by being an example to my children about how to care for, organize and clean the home.  I think my own mother was simply so busy with 10 children that she had no time!  I also want my children to see how much work I do clean our home.  I don't mean this in a bragging, "feel bad for me" kind of way, either!  I will just say after dinner, "while I work on the kitchen, you start your clean up time."  Or, "I am going to see how fast I can clean the kitchen while you work on your room.  Let's see who finishes first."  I have found this helps them feel a sense of teamwork and overall contribution to our home and family.  They realize they are not alone and are working together for a common good. 

Below I will describe the chore charts I use now (thanks to my sister, Laura, for sending them to me!) and the charts I used before. It is always a good idea to change it up once in a while and revisit chore lists and responsibilities in the home every few months or so.  I laminated these charts so we don't have to change them every week.  I also like these charts because they have the different categories.  

Above you see Carmen's chore chart for the new year.  She is 5 years old, a beginning reader, so I drew little pictures next to the words in order to foster a little more independence and confidence in her.  It's not Picasso, but she LOVES my artwork!  The important thing is that I didn't just dictate her chores to here, we discussed what she wanted to include and I, of course, put in what I expect.  Some things aren't negotiable!   You can see that this list is personal to her which encourages her to take more ownership of it.

Above is Emmett's current chore list for the New Year.  On the back is written his New Year's Resolution to get to bed on time. I love that he thought of that!  It is so personal to him and so appropriate.  It is shows that great self awareness  I mentioned above.  As a side note, the "laundry" item includes moving clothes from washer to dryer and starting the dryer, bringing his clothes upstairs and putting them away.  These chores are not necessarily done every day and they are not set in stone.  It is a guide and a starting point.

Below is an example of  the chore chart I made after looking on the internet.  I used these charts last year for Emmett and Carmen.  The initial part is important.  The parent must take the time to acknowledge and check that the items are complete.

The possibilities are endless!  The important thing is to acknowledge your child's contribution to your family.  Whether we use a checklist, a chore chart, or make a New Year's resolution, make sure we take the time to support our children in the most important job of growing up!  

A happy and blessed New Year to you!