Keep it Simple

Take the time to make a routine for you and your family. Set up a calendar and keep it consistent. Don’t make it complicated.

I sit down and write all of the activities we do during the week and put them on the calendar. Then I write down all of my jobs for the week. One of them is trash day. Trash day tells me, yes the obvious, put the trash out. It also tells me the day before we are emptying the little trash cans around the house. One of the kids' jobs is to empty those trash cans. I make that part of my routine and put it on the calendar. Also the day before trash day is the day I clean out the refridgerator! So that also goes in the routine and on the calendar. Next I add all of the other weekly things and write down the day I do them. The day I go downtown to the library is also the day I run errands as many of my errands are located there. Keep it simple. No matter how simple it is, write it down.

More Jobs for Kids!

I give my children jobs. It started when they were arguing over who is going to say the blessing at meals!?!? So we made up a schedule (a simple schedule – every other day). So one says the blessing for meals all day and the other is the leader of the day. The leader gets the mail that day. It works out well and less arguing. Also if something comes up and there is arguing, I simply ask, “who’s day is it to be the leader?” That person does the job. It is simply solved, no more arguments. We keep track, with our easy system, and we are consistent. We do this daily. Thus the kids “know the rules” and do well with this system!