Let's work together!

Since we are home schooling, we're together in the house A LOT and we make a HUGE mess. Remember my post here about our dirty toilet problem? :) Hiring a cleaning service is not in the budget, so we need a plan to keep things in check... at least somewhat! After much thought and prayer, here is what we've come up with for now. It's just a variation of what we've done this fall, but will be easier for me to manage and stick with. As well as accommodate some growing maturity and capability.

So here is the plan! 

I bought this pocket chart in the Target dollar bins in the summer of 2008. 

They seem to bring out the teacher stuff each fall... but this particular year they had really large charts.  I have hung it on the door to our garage with magnets. 

Here's a close up of the bottom of the chart. It is a list of our daily jobs beside each boys picture. Obviously, we don't need the images for each job because we have 2 readers now, but I think it makes it fun, and helps Aaron. I went room by room and took pictures and also grabbed some free clip art online. Then I printed the cards on card stock and laminated them. It's driving me crazy that one card is crooked in Aaron's row, but I'm too lazy to go take another picture. :)

The boys are responsible for doing the tasks in their row each day. As they complete a task, they flip it over and see the encouraging sticker. (Thanks Carla, for that idea!) That way they can also see the completion of their tasks. Each night before I go to bed, I simply flip the cards back over and switch things around as necessary. I swap who sets the table or cleans the floor after breakfast. Also, I trade back and forth who empties the dishes and who puts away the clean silverware. 

At the top of the chart is a list of all the jobs I'd like to have completed weekly. I have decided that during the winter months, it will work better to have a cleaning afternoon (based on weather or what else we have going on). Then the boys choose which jobs they'd like to do and get going.  For example, yesterday since it was raining we had cleaning time. I put on fun energetic cleaning music and we got busy. Since we were all working together, they were very eager. I felt a little bit like a ping pong as I jumped back and forth getting them set up and assisting, but we got a good bit done. After they completed a job, I came to inspect and determine if it was done well enough for their capabilities. 

If it was completed well, they move the card to their little envelope on the side. Now here is the exciting part for them... for each card in their envelope they receive some coins. (The older two are very motivated by money.) Once a week they get paid. A portion of their earnings goes to their tithing jar, money bank (for savings) and wallet (for spending). After they've been paid, the cards go back up into the row for the next week. I also made a few blank cards and laminated them so I can add extra jobs I may have forgotten. 

So that's our system for Family Service 2012. I'm hoping we can stick with it. There will definitely still need to be some deep cleaning and there are certainly other jobs that I'll need to take care of myself, but this puts a small dent in the list and hopefully teaches them a little too. If this system suits you, feel free to ask questions or I'll gladly send you the word document I made the cards in. 

Happy Cleaning!

Proactive Grocery Shopping

I must confess that grocery shopping with the three boys has been a challenge for me. Since I'm home schooling, I can either choose to go with the boys or go in the evenings alone. I'm very blessed that when I was pregnant with our third child, my husband took the grocery list and our older two boys every Saturday morning and did the shopping. Then over the last couple years, I'm grateful that he has been very willing to do the grocery shopping every other week in the evenings. Yeah Daddy!

However, I have found that it pays to be proactive when grocery shopping if I MUST bring them with me. I'm still trying to figure out appropriate expectations for three active boys in the grocery store when I have a handful of coupons and a long list. I wish they would just walk calmly and quietly beside me while I concentrate on saving money! :) However, despite my determined efforts to train them that has not been our regular history. So, I needed a plan... First of all, we do pray every time we enter a grocery store. We also discuss and review pleasing behavior vs. displeasing behavior, peacemaking behavior vs. trouble making behavior and what it looks like to be obedient in the grocery store. Then, I pull out the props. I love to make things on the computer -- it's all quite primitive because I don't have any fancy equipment or the time to spend. So, I made these four grocery activities.

1st: Grocery Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

2nd: Grocery Bingo

3rd: I spy shapes

4th: Scavenger Hunt (I couldn't get this image turned...sorry!)

I would love to share these word documents with you if you think it might help. I recommend laminating them for lots of re-use. I will say that I am definitely not computer savvy and have no idea how to attach a document to this blog post. So, if you want a copy, email me or leave a comment with your email address and I'll happily share. I just ask that if you make it better, share your improvements with me! (* I haven't actually used these in a while and the boys have done great... but a friend recommended that I share them on this blog. Maybe it's time to pull out our copies and use them again!)

Happy Shopping!!