Chores for Kids

One of Princess Aftyn's jobs is to wipe off the little table.

Ainsley and Aftyn are only almost 7 and almost 4 and do they do chores? Absolutely! In my opinion, as soon as a child gets to be around 2 they are capable of picking up after themselves and my kids do! Everyday at 4:00 it is chore time at my house and the girls are responsible for 7 chores:

1. Pick up all toys/belongings on Main Floor
2. Pick up all toys/belongings in Basement
3. Pick up all toys/belongings in Bedroom
4. Put away all shoes
5. Wipe off tables
6. Make bed
7. Put clothes away/in hamper

And guess what? They do these chores all by themselves! The only thing I do is break up the occasional fight.:) I also provide encouragement when needed especially for Aftyn who has a shorter attention span.

So how do I do it, you ask? Simple. I have easy organizational systems for toys so it's very quick and easy for the girls to put away their things. And after all the chores are completed, they get a small piece of candy (like a Starburst), and get to add seven coins to their Reward jars. See: http://littlelockards.blogspot.com/2009/03/tip-of-week-rewards-system.html.

I have explained to my kids that they are part of a family and it's their job to help make the house a happy place to be by picking up their stuff. Small children love to help and it makes them feel important. They also love getting candy!

Helpful Hints:

• 
  
  Whenever I hear Ainsley or Aftyn say, "But Mommy, I don't want to do chores..." I simply say, "That's fine if you don't want to, I'll do your half, but I also get your money and candy when I'm done..." It works every time!
• 
  
  If you've never had your kids do chores before but are wanting to give it a try, I suggest you do the chores with them the first few times to help them get the hang of it. A chore chart is also a great motivator, especially if they get to use stickers on it!
• 
  
  For really young kids I have found it most successful to give them specific tasks to do. If you say, "Pick up the living room," it can seem too overwhelming and chances are you'll meet resistance. However, if you say instead, "Find all the blocks in the living room and put them away..." It makes it seem much more manageable.

Chores are a great way to boost confidence in kids and give them a sense of accomplishment. It also gives Mom a little break to put her feet up and relax while the kids are cleaning up all the messes...

Well, one can always dream!

Queen of the Castle

You've heard the phrase "king of the castle" right? If you're a 1950's housewife then that phrase should definitely ring true. However, in this day and age things have changed dramatically. While the husband is still head of the family I no longer think he has "Lord of the Manor" bragging rights. How often does a working father really spend at home anyway? What gives him the right to have a say in how the household is run, organizationally speaking? None I say. This is why I am declaring myself "Queen of the Castle."

You should declare yourself that too if you're a homemaker like me. True my husband's job made it possible for me to have the house I live in, but without me it would still be a house. I am the one who makes my house a home.

Seriously, I don't barge into my husband's place of work and start telling him what to do, where to file his work, how he should talk to his boss, etc. That would drive him crazy! It's just the same for me. If ever Nathan tries to usurp some of my power, I calmly but sweetly remind him that the household is my job and therefore I ultimately decide how it is run. If he puts up a fuss about something then I just wait until he's off to work (and do it anyway).

Now don't get me wrong, Nathan and I still share responsibilities. He does the dishes every night, for example. He also puts the kids to bed and gives them their baths. We pay the bills together, we raise our children together. We are a team but when it comes to our occupations, he is a computer guy and I am a homemaker and we don't step on each other's toes.

So now that we're clear on who's really in charge, let's have some fun, shall we? After all, who says it has to be all work all the time? A household is more than a full-time job to run with kids and all in the mix but there's still some ways to make it your own. Set up organization methods that make sense to you. The rules for the household are also in your domain. If you don't want the kids to play in certain rooms then make it be so. If you want them to clear their dishes and put away their shoes then declare it for all to hear!

And of course we can't forget decorating! If the household belongs to you then you might as well like how it looks, right? You should, I suppose, be somewhat sensitive to what your husband's dislikes are. If he hates pink and ruffles adamantly then don't go overboard in that department but don't let him do the decorating either! If my husband were in charge of what went on the walls we'd have Nintendo posters and GI Joe paraphernalia galore. No thank you! Instead I let him think he gets a say by letting him put up some posters in our loft and the kids' playroom, places where no one else sees.

Respect your role as Queen of the Castle and your family will as well. Don't let anyone else try to tell you you're not in charge or I guarantee chaos will ensue. Keep control over the home beneath your reign or it will control you. You're a gentle but firm queen... remember that.

Pantry Perfection

With four small children I have a very limited amount of time to prepare meals, every second counts to be able to get things done, especially for my very impatient 2-year-old. :) Clutter and chaos drive me crazy and literally make me panicky. So I have organized my pantry in such a manner that I can easily find what I'm looking for. I've done this using several different sized bins and containers.

Here's how to get started:

1. Pull everything out of your pantry one shelf at a time (taking the opportunity to discard things you don't need)
2. Categorize items in a way that makes sense to you
3. Make a list of all the categories so you'll know how many bins to purchase
4. Once you've purchased the bins, organize your food accordingly
5. Label each bin
6. Place food back on shelf according to genre

Helpful Hints:

• Use different sized containers for different sized foods ie small flat baskets for spices, deep bins for flours and sugars, pourable containers for pastas, etc.
• Don't waste money looking for storage items at a specialty store, the cheapest places I have found are Drug stores and Wal-Mart.
• Keep similar foods together ie all baking items on one shelf, all cooking items on another, breakfast, drinks, etc.

Examples of what could go in each bin:

1. Bread (include peanut butter and extra jellies)
2. Packaged dinners (Mac n' cheese or Hamburger Helper)
3. Rice
4. Flours/sugars
5. Soups/sauces
6. Oils/Vinegars
7. Misc. baking
8. Baking chips/nuts

Organize your pantry in a way that makes sense to you and be sure and let your husband and kids in on the system so it always stays nice and neat!

Compartmentalizing Cleaners

The way my house is set up people have to access the bathroom on the main floor via my laundry room. This fact bugs me to no end but it is what it is so I do what I can to make it blend in. There used to be just one long shelf above the washer and dryer where I kept all my cleaning supplies. Talk about an eye sore and I could never find what I was looking for without knocking things off.

My awesome husband recently bought me some utility cupboards to sit on top of the existing shelf so I could hide my cleaning supplies (and stop complaining). I took it one step further by categorizing my cleaning supplies and and putting them in their own bin. I love a good organizing project! The "bins" I used are actually CD crates that I found at Wal-Mart in their back-to-school section. They cost a whopping $1.50 each! They are just the perfect size to hold a few bottles and are easy to carry around. Here's the categories I used to organize my cleaners:

• Cleaning Rags
• Specialty Cleaners
• Dusting
• Laundry
• Carpet
• Bathroom

Now whenever I need to get something specific I just reach for the bin! It makes my life easier and I hope it will make yours too!