Helpful Hints

We have found that something that is very helpful in our home is a chore chart. There are a TON out there that you can purchase but we just typed one up on our computer and printed it out. Be creative and come up with one that works for your family. Ours is a basic one with each childs name and the day of the week and what their chore is for that specific day. We also have chores that we do each day that are not on the chore chart (i.e. make beds, brush teeth, clean up place at the table, etc.). When the kids are smaller I make them some chore cards with their chores on them. A good place for us to start is with laundry, when Isaac and Sarah were smaller we started them out with folding the wash cloths and then towel and then clothes and so on. I will admit that I had to bite my tounge, I wanted them to fold them like I wanted them folded. I was missing the point, they were learning and as long as it was getting done then I needed to be Ok. Example, Sarah would fold the wash cloths in a triangle, they were folded and she had done it and done a good job! Now that Isaac and Sarah are older I have went a step further and taught them how to fold the towels so that we can get them in my small cabinet. A year or so ago we began to teach Elijah how to fold towels and wash cloths and now he can do all of that by himself while the rest of us are doing other chores. Another chore we have taught the kids at an early age is unloading the silverware out of the dishwasher. I put up the sharp knives and then let them put up the rest. Great way to learn sorting, a little bit of school here!! :) Now Elijah does the silverware and Isaac and Sarah can clean out the rest of the dishwasher. This year we began teaching Elijah how to make his bed. I will be the first to say that it is not perfect, but he is learning and becoming a big boy. I have also been teaching him how to fold his own clothes, he is doing so good. Let me add that at my house it is not "Oh mother dear I would love to" and then joyfully it gets done. No sir, it is sometimes not an easy task to teach them or to make sure they get it done. Yes, it would be so much easier for me to do it myself but then I would not be doing them any good...they might not ever learn. I wanted to post a couple of pics of Elijah's bed making and clothes folding. I think I might also post some of their chores and the child's age on my next Helpful Hints post.

Elijah's bed after he made it, all by himself!! He likes for his pillow to stand up like that, so cute that he has his own way of doing something....but it gets done.

Then he decided he would make Timothy's bed.

Timothy's bed made by Elijah.

Folded clothes by Elijah