Clean Your Room!!

How do I get my boys to pick up their room?

Cleaning their room . . . I will be honest, my boys’ room is clean every night before they go to bed (*with few exceptions). 

First, the toys in their room are very limited.  Most of our toys are educational & stay in the schoolroom.  We have inside toys & outside toys, school toys & room toys - sometimes they rotate around, but generally this helps keep things where they belong.  And for the most part the toys in there room stay IN THEIR ROOM!  - not all over the house.  *this doesn't always happen though. 

Since the boys have been little I have given them all the freedom in the world to "play" as imaginatively as possible & overlook the mess . . . until I trip over something or Big Daddy is on his way home.

*If during the day I see things getting out of control I’ll ask them to do a quick 10 second tidy – usually this means each person picks up 10 things that aren’t being played with (sometimes I’ll help).

*It takes Big Daddy an hour to drive home, so about the time I know he is getting off work I begin to prepare the house – including their room.  It has become such a routine that they typically don’t argue.  The way they pick up varies.  Most of the time they do it together.  If there is arguing I’ll split the room in sections & each one is responsible for a specific area.  Sometimes I will have them clean it in turns.  For example – Tyler will being doing other chores & Tucker will be picking up the room.  Then they will switch.  I never say pick up “what you got out” because that always leads to a fight.  The rule is to just pick up.  I don’t care who got it out.  I don’t need to know who played with it last.  Just pick up. 

To make it a little fun I will often play music, race them, help them, or give them a treat after it is clean.

Picking up their room is a daily thing.  The real cleaning (sorting toys, organizing drawers, dusting, etc.) is done once a month & I typically do it & they help.

All of my kids (even the littlest) are good workers.  I think this is because we started so young with them. 

Taylor used to have major issues with cleaning her room.  I would find things shoved under the bead, dirty clothes in the clean clothes draw, clothes thrown all over the floor, etc.  It was much more of a struggle with her.  In the beginning, I would clean with her, check on her cleaning processes, & even reward her.  I finally just made a checklist describing our standards of a “clean” room & an extra chore was issued for anything not done.  She was our oldest in the house & the only one that had their own room, so our expectations were higher. 

My best friend has a problem with her daughter getting distracted while cleaning.  I think a checklist is still a good option, but I also use timers with my boys or would say “see if you can pick up your room before this song is over” or I would threaten their lives if it wasn’t done.  LOL

The focus with their rooms has been more about making the house a joy for their daddy to come home to than it has been anything.  They love to please him so typically all I have to say is Daddy’s going to be home soon & it works. 

What are your tricks for getting your kids to clean their room?

Chore Chart–“To Do” style!

Chores: Routine Cards

I know I have said several times that I needed to update our chore chart/system.  The hard part of this for me is the wide age range I have now. 

Tyler is such a diligent worker & doesn’t really need a chart or system.  His responsibilities are the same each day & he does them without being asked.  *We do give him an “allowance” ($20/month).  He is our oldest & is always our “go to guy”.  By far he is his daddy’s top hand & my biggest helper with the little kids.  His diligence is not only remarkable, but his attitude is such a blessing.  The boy seriously LOVES to work.  Currently his daily chores are all the outside animal jobs. 

For several months now he has been “training” Tucker – teaching him to do his jobs.  And I am so pleased with how well he has done.  Occasionally, the boys will fight & argue, but for the most part they work well together. 

Tucker really had us worried for a while . . . WORK, was not a word we associated with him.  at.  all.  He was too busy exploring to “work.”  Having him as Tyler’s helper has instilled the work ethic we were hoping for.  Recently, he has been doing most of the animal chores on his own with Tyler overseeing them.  He wakes up early & begins his chores immediately most mornings (without being reminded). 

Tucker & Trevor have a couple of chores together:  dishes, picking up poop, & yard work (picking up the scattered toys).  These two do NOT work so well together.  They fight constantly & when the job isn’t done well the other is always to blame.  Very seldom do they work together without fighting.  Very VERY seldom do they do anything without fighting, but that is another story.  To cut the fighting down & get the job done I have given them “zone” or areas of responsibility.  If they are working in the yard, they each have a  side they are responsible for.  If they are doing the dishes Tucker does it one day & Trevor the next. 

Trevor he loves to work, but only when he wants too.  Typical for a 5 year old.  He does very well with his personal chores (emptying small trashcans around the house, wiping the table off, & feeding the dogs).  He is a very good “mommy helper” & loves to help me make my bed. 

Soon, Tyler will begin with bigger boy duties, Tucker will take over Tyler’s chores, & Trevor will gain a few more personal chores. 

All of my children make their beds, put their clothes away, clean their rooms, & help in “zones” during cleaning days/times. 

I have a new chore “chart” in the works, but it is very simple & more of a list than a chart.  However, for my younger kids & to aid in getting back in a “school” routine & out of the more relaxed summer routine we have enjoyed for a couple months now I had my sweet sister make the boys “routine cards”:

*These cards are not in any particular order & I’m still missing a few.  I just sent my sister a little mason jar surprise, so maybe she’ll surprise me with a few more pictures.  Isn’t she a great artist?  These are NOTHING compared to “real” artwork.  Can you tell the pictures I colored?  LOL  (take a close look at the toy box , meal times (lunch/dinner), & goats).  Yeah, I did NOT get blessed with the artistic gift!

 

I still need to cut these beauties out & decide where I am going to put them.  I’m thinking in the hallway to the boys room – **Which I just totally redid – painted it & made it into a family “message center”.  It is AWESOME.  Not completely done yet, so pictures will be posted soon!

Chores

My chore charts (HERE & HERE) are two of my most popular posts.  I keep meaning to put together a new chore chart, but I just can’t seem to find the time or creative skills to bling something up that will work for our entire family.  The general store idea works – on normal weeks.  But if you’ve read my blog very long, you’ll know that my family has not seen a “normal” week in quite some time.  Take the last 4 weeks for example – 2 surgeries, multiple doctors appointments, & sick babes.  Life for us is just crazy & because we live out in the middle of no where it pretty much takes all day to do anything.  Another problem I have is Big Daddy.  He is such a “By God . . .” Daddy – you know – “do it because I say so!”  He doesn’t understand why the kids need chore charts, incentives, or reminders for something he says to do & should be done every day. 

The biggest problem is the differences in my kids.  Tyler – 99% of the time he is self motivated, extremely responsible, great attitude, very hard worker.  He is the definition of diligence.  Once he mastered his chores & we saw the incredible attitude he has in doing them we decided to reward him with an allowance.  He usually ends up doing more than his chores – as he is the oldest & most responsible, he just naturally has become our “go-to-guy”.  He deserves & earns every bit of his $20 bonus a month.  I really don’t want to call this an allowance, because we did not decide to pay to do his chores, but we wanted to acknowledge how much we appreciate his work ethics.  Tucker & Trevor on the other hand are the complete opposite from their older brother.  Tucker wants to be paid.  Then work.  LOL  Because this is not our first rodeo, Big Daddy & I are learning to speak their languages.  It is so much easier to find some middle ground than it is to fight them every step of the way.  We certainly will not pay him to work, but I am thinking on a reward system that works frequently.  I’m not sure what it’s going to take to get Trevor to work.  He does pretty well working alongside some one.  He is more than willing to help Tucker, but Tucker is so stubborn he refuses to accept the help most of the time.  Trevor may become Tyler or mommy’s helper with a few individual chores himself. 

Don’t misunderstand me, regardless of the above issues, ALL my boys work.  They all do chores . . .

Tyler is 10.  His main responsibilities are for the goats & chickens.  He lets them out in the morning, put them up at night, feeds & waters them, cleans their pen, & anything else that involves them animals (like chasing them out of the watermelon patch, garden, wheat field, or neighbors flowerbed).  He also helps feed cows during the winter & works in the garden during the spring/summer. 

Tucker is 6.  He is suppose to feed the dogs & pick up their poop out of the yard.  He also is in charge of gathering the chickens egg, but Tyler usually does it because Tucker is scared of our papa goat & snakes during the summer. 

Trevor is 4.  He doesn’t have any assigned individual chores, but is the universal helper to his brothers.  He does not like to work alone, but typically has a happy heart to help out.

Truman is almost 2.  He loves wipies & is obsessed with wiping everything down.  He also puts some of the silverware away when his brothers unload the washer.  But he is REALLY good at creating most of the messes around here!

Together Tucker & Trevor unload the dishwasher & dump all the small trashes around the house.  And every now & then, they will fold a load of towels or sort socks for me.  All my boys put their own clothes away (this has always been their first real chore & usually starts between 2-3 years).  They are also in charge of their rooms; however, I usually end up cleaning it A LOT!  Occasionally, when the yard is out of control they will have a group pick up day.  Anytime there is much work to be done, or a large project (ie.  the house is a total disaster or the chicken coop needs its annual major cleanout) we all work together as a family.

Despite all the issues & my lack of inspiration, I have been thinking a lot about a new chore system.  We definitely need to come up with something to motivate the younger two boys as well has hold them more responsible for their duties.  I’ve considered trying Erica’s new chore chart, but I also love the way this family does chores.  Then, I found this post & the wheels started spinning even more.  Speaking of spinning, I LOVE the wheel!!

So, you see now, why I have been draggin’ on creating a new chore chart.  It is a bit more complicated than anticipated . . .

These Boots Were Made For Workin'!!

Having a large family & living on a farm, my outlaws have more chores than most kids probably do. There are many responsibilities that a farm entails & in order for things to run smoothly we all must pitch in. We have used several chore systems & none at all at times, but this year we decided to add a reward system to our children's chores. Big Daddy is more of what I call a "By God" dad. "By God, because I said so!" He thinks electricity & food is a big enough reward; however, it was clear that one of our children wasn't seeing the big picture. You know, the tree house, 4-wheelers, petting zoo we have going on here . . . Anyway, he reluctantly agreed to pay them, but not with REAL money.

We made a list of all the chores the kids do. We discussed how much we thought each chore should be rewarded with daily. Then we presented it to our kids & negotiated a price - a process that will help them with future jobs & also be able to defend/explain the value they bring to a job. Basically, a buckaroo buck is worth 1/2 the value of a true dollar.

I explained this system HERE, but I didn't think to share specific chores & wages.

Tyler volunteered to do the majority of the outside chores. Tyler's jobs & pay are:

• Let goats out (sun shine, rain, sleet or snow) .75 *this varies when we have a nanny with babies in a separate pin.
• Feed & water goats & chickens .75 *this varies as well when we have baby chicks in a separate pin.
• Clean goat pin (YUCK!!) 1.00
• Pick up the yard 1.00
• Make your bed .10
• Brush your teeth .10
• In bed on time .25

Taylor's jobs & pay are:

• Dishes (am, lunch, pm - depending when she is home) .50 each *I wash cookware, but she does tableware.
• Laundry - folding & puts away hers & Trevor's .75
• Trash - .10
• Clean room - .25
• Make bed - .10
• Brush teeth - .10
• In bed on time - .25

Tucker's jobs & pay are:

• Brush teeth - .25
• Make bed - .10
• Feed dogs - .25
• Gather chicken eggs - .25/.50
• Pick up poop - .50
• Clean room - 1.00
• In bed on time - .25

Trevor's jobs & pay are:

• Brush teeth - .25
• Make bed - .10
• Clean room - 1.00
• Feed cat - .25
• In bed on time - .25

Each of our kids have their own boots with the price on the back:

I also have "extra" chores such as:

• make an extra bed - .25
• wipe off the kitchen table - .25
• pick up the living room .50
• make baby wipes .25
• clean my truck out .50

& then there are those spur of the moment things, "go get me this, hold the baby, etc." that I try to reward them for. Sometimes they just do it & never even think to hit us up for money, other times they totally negotiate. They are all pretty good about being thoughtful kids, & say "mom, you don't have to pay me for that . . ."

This system really seems to be working for us. Our kids are pretty spoiled & have a lot of things most kids don't; however, our kids also have more responsibilities than a lot of other children. You can click HERE to see how they spend their buckaroo bucks at our General Store. Basically, we really aren't giving our kids anything other than privileges they already had. We are just using this system so they are able to see that their chores & responsibilities are partly why they have what they have. Shh, they don't know that though.

Howdy Helpers!

Our Ranch Hands' chore list is AWESOME!!

I put the finishing touches on it & we've been using it all week.

Each Outlaw has their own pocket to put their chore in once they have completed it.
Under each Outlaws' pocket are boots with their chores on them w/ prices on the back (*I laminated these & wrote the price with a dry-erase marker -- always leaving room for negotiation). On the right side are badges for extra chores that aren't required - in case they are looking to earn a little extra help. One even says, "Extra." That one varies - they just ask me or Big Daddy if there is anything we would like them to do & we price those chores as we go.

At the end of the day I get the prize money out & give them their earnings, with the option to purchase anything from the store. *We do have store hours - it is NOT open 24/7!!!

They only earn their pay if they didn't have to be remind/had a good attitude when they were. The job has to be done correctly (with grace & mercy occasionally. For chores that are not completed they loose a privilege & it is not returned until the job is done correctly the following day(s).

Behind the scenes: I used a large poster board, pre-cut letting & pockets from a teacher store & used a digital kit to create the boots & badges. I put Velcro on the back of the chores & attached them to the poster board. Currently, it is hanging on the side of my frig with magnets I add to the back of the poster. Once our new school room is done I will add a boarder around it & hang it on our bulletin board. I also use these pockets to leave notes about their chores or to surprise them with bonuses/coupons.

This might be my favorite system so far . . . How do you handle chores at your house?

Our New Chore Chart for 2008-2009

I admit it - I am sick of making a new chore chart every couple of months. I have mentioned before that with every season, our schedule & chores just naturally need a little change. BUT why did the chart? Inspired by my Preschool Chart, I decided to make a new chore chart & have it laminated to I could just write the chores on it weekly or whenever change was necessary. We keep our Chore Chart in our kitchen at the kids eye level. So here it is:



As with my other chore charts, the stickies to the left are to be placed over the description next to it (or picture on Tucker & Trevor's).

The designs:

Zones & Chores List graphics are from Shabby Princess, "Painted Summer"
Taylor's Chart graphics are mostly from Hot Mama by Gitz Design, a few are from K. Hartley, & Lifetimez "Little Princess"
Tucker & Trevor's graphics are all from Aimee Asher's "Playful Fish" Kit
Tyler's Chart graphics are from "Sports Mania: Baseball" by Heather Roselli

Chores Updated

As I stated before, with every season our house seems to change. Summer is here & we have a new chore chart! Here is what I have been busy working on.

As with most of my creations I need to explain a little . . . Taylor & Tyler have decided to rotate chores. She misses working with the animals, but doesn't want to "pick up poop ALL the time!" lol So, we decided to rotate them every other week instead of every other day (which is what we did last summer). So that is why you see 2 AM , Noon & PM boxes under their name. One is for the 1st & 3rd weeks of the month & the other is for the 2nd & 4th weeks of the month. The green you see next to each chore is a sticky pad that they move over the description after they have done that chore. I think that's all!

Time to CHART

Okay get your Chore list & Zones . . . We are going to make CHARTS . . .

You do have a couple options with charts. I have used & LOVE doorpost charts. They are a great start & only cost $5 http://www.doorposts.net/serviceop.asp This is a poster board size chart that is divided into 20 sections. Write in your family’s most frequent chores in these spaces. They provide a list of 60 ideas, and 56 cartoon illustrations that you can color, cut and glue next to each chore listing. This makes an attractive chart and will help your non-readers use the chart, too. On one side of the chart is a moveable sticky (doorpost instructions are to write the childs name on these so you can assign different chores each day to each child). Here is my tweak on their charting: I write each childs name in a divided section & under it I list their chores & a picture for the little ones. Next to this I place a sticky (color coded for each child, but not necessary), on the sticky I write when it is to be done (example, "daily" or "Mon" or "Tue & Thur"). When the chore is done it is placed over the picture or description. If you choose to pay your children, you could write the reward next to the chore & the sticky could be over the reward & moved to the description when completed. This is a great motivation & has saved me from having to ask repeatedly, "are your chores done?" I keep this chat in my kitchen at a height that all can reach. (I will post a picture when I am done working on our new Spring Chart).



Other ideas for charts are computer made ones (google chore charts for freebies & ideas) or scrapbook a chart. All you need to make your own is a posterboard, ruler, markers & small sticky notes (optional). You don't have to have a BIG chart, individual charts are an option too (walmart does sell small posterboards in a package that are perfect for individual charts). I have both! See previous posts on charts to look at mine. Your charts don't have to be "Pretty" -- I just tied a hobby into making mine -- it was fun for me. If you think your children would enjoy making their own include them! Or have them draw small pictures for the chart.



I do recommend color cordinating for multiple children. Also have a hard copy or list in your "control journal" -- page protector is also helpful if you just make a copy of it. LAMINATING individual charts will help with durability. On the back of your hard copy write your childrens name, age, season & year. Example: Taylor, 9 yr. Spring 2008. This will be a head start on Charts to come!!



If you want other ideas or don't think this will work for you Managers of Their Homes now has a Managers of Their Chores. You may want to look into their system. -- None the less, MAKE A CHART!!



OH . . . I must include the idea that Doorpost uses . . . These are NOT "CHORE CHARTS" they are "SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES."



Good Luck! Have Fun! Be Creative! Send Pictures! E-mail for questions . . .

God Bless!

INTRO to "ZONES"

Once your chore lists are done your are ready to ZONE!! I have WEEKLY "Zones" & my children have DAILY "Zones". "Zoning" is a Flylady concept & I have tweaked it a little. Zones are areas of your house that you create to do MAJOR cleaning in for 10-15 minutes each day (this is when the microwave is cleaned, the pantry is organized, ect). Here is my idea on "Zoning" for my family:


You don't have to have seperate zones for you and the kids -- You can create a zone for the group that all of you spend time in each day together. I decided to create seperate zones b/c there are so many of us & I am fearful that when I am focusing on one area, the rest will fall apart. So, while I am working one week on a room, my children are keeping up the pace around the rest of the house by rotating rooms each day. Another option for seperate zones is to give each child their own zone to be responsible for. Just have each child spend 10 minutes a day in their zone.


Decide if you want to work on zones together or if you want seperate zones (*kid zones can rotate weekly instead of daily too)
Pick your Zones (here are a few examples, but this will depend on your house size & design)

Fly Lady Zones are:
Zone 1: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room
Zone 2: The Kitchen
Zone 3: The Bathroom and One Extra Room
Zone 4: The Master Bedroom
Zone 5: The Living Room

My Zones are:
Kitchen
Living Room
Bedroom
School Room
Kids Room
*Bathroom (I did not put this on my chart mainly b/c I live with 4 boys so my bathroom needs attention on an AS NEEDED basis.)

My Chilrens Zones are:
Bedroom
School Room
Living Room
Kitchen
Yard

My zones, as I described, are WEEKLY. So, for the first week of the month I work on zone 1 every day for 10-15 minutes. Example March 3-7 I work on my kitchen, the next week I will work on the living room & so on. The kids are DAILY, so on Monday (AS A GROUP) they work on the bedrooms (*exception is my daughter works on hers & the boys theirs together). On Tuesday they will ALL work on the school room, ect. . . Another thought, depending on how many children you have, is giving each child a different zone weekly or daily. Example Taylor, Mon - bedroom, Tue - school room, Wed - Kitchen Tyler, Mon - yard, Tue - Living Room, Wed - bedroom OR Week 1: Taylor - Kitchen, Tyler - Yard, Tucker - School Room



After you have created your zones

Decide how you are going to work in them (individual/group/mom/kids & weekly/daily)

Pick your weeks or days (REMEMBER ACTIVITIES)
Create a cleaning/to do list for each zone (if you are doing zones seperate from the kids you may want to make a different list of things you want them to do -- you can assign tasks for each child or just let them while they are cleaning.)

Set a time limit for zone work (at first you may want to spend longer to get into the routine, but try not to spend longer than 15 minutes)

Chores Chores Chores & More . . . REVIEW

So your chore list should be almost completed . . . Let's REVIEW

1. Make a Cleaning List
Daily Cleaning
Now is the time to get the highlighters or a colored pen/marker for each
child (Pick a color for each child)
Go through your list & highlight by color what each child is capable of
doing. Some chores may be double or triple highlighted -- no
worries . . . Once you are done highlighting, make a column for each
child. Write the chores they are capable of doing under their name.
For the chores that more than one child is able to do:
Ask your children which chores they would like to do.
If you can't agree flip a coin or draw sticks -- winner gets
first pick.

Weekly Cleaning
HIGHLIGHTERS Please! Do the same process as Daily Chores to decide Who &
What.
Decide do you want:
1 MAJOR Cleaning Day to do ALL the weekly chores
WHEN? -- Pick a day to do all the extra chore
Extra Chores each day
Add the decided chores to the bottom of each childs list &
decide which day you would like this done.


* Just a few thoughts: When deciding WHO, WHAT & WHEN keep in mind trash days, extra curricular activites, busy days, ect. DO NOT under estimate your children -- they CAN do household work. Keep in mind -- TRAINING PERIODS may be needed. Once you are ready to present a CHORE CHART to your children you will spend time going over "how to" & expectations. -- YES, you WILL need to go over this a few times (don't we still have to with our GROWN husbands every now & then? lol) Also, remember that having responsiblities are good for your children & we all have our own ways of doing things. I have had to bite my tongue several times & remind myself that the towels don't HAVE to be folded perfectly & it is okay if they don't load the dishwaher the way I do -- the fact that they are HELPING at all -- HELPS!! When you do want to "perfect" a certain chore, pick ONE at a time for each child & encourage them & just smile at the wrinkled clothes.



** Toddlers: Even they can WORK & surprisingly they will be EXCITED to have "Chores" Don't leave them out. Here are a few things my toddlers do: Wipe kitchen table, pick up toys, pick up yard (Tucker is even picking up dog poop), feed the dogs, sweep up little piles, ect. *** Tucker LOVES his little hand broom & mini dust pan -- good investment! -- These chores can, but don't HAVE to be time or day specific.

Mommy Charts

Shappy Princess

Kid Chore Charts

I made these chore charts with a digital scrapbooking program I have (lifetimez) & the digital designs are from Krystal Hartley, Shappy Princess, Topline-Creations, & Glitz Design.