Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Work for Me: Review, Kinda, and Etc.

If you are looking for my weekly review of Works for Me Wednesdays, I am sorry, but I had limited time to assemble one. I do have two favorites, though:

Kim had a great post about weeding techniques I'm going to try. I am going to find a secure place near the door to keep my straw hat and a weeding knife.

and

Katherine Has a "Handy" way to help your kids remember their job routines. I especially love this one!

My kids have their morning, bedtime and after school routines. They have done really well with learning to do the morning and evening ones without prompting, but the after school one is hard for the girls. I think they have a hard time focusing after a long day at school. Especially Maddy. I had been writing them down on a 3 x 5 card for them to carry around and cross off as they did them. (They like checking things off a to do list as much as I do.) This works quite well, but writing the cards out is tedious and I was too lazy to get around to making some up with the computer. Besides, I want them to eventually do them without prompts!

So, today I tried Katherine's hand technique with my girls as soon as they got home from school and they really liked doing it this way. I put it on a piece of paper they could cross off the chores as they did them. I'm hoping, after a time, to shorten each finger to a single word, then a letter that I will eventually write directly on their fingers. After that I'm hoping they'll be able to remember them just looking at their fingers.

This is their after school chores:

S - Stuff put away (shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, papers to mom's desk)
L - Laundry (clean put away, dirty sorted)
B - Bath (Tidy)
B - Bed (Bedroom tidy, including bed made)
C - Chore (an assigned after school chore that varies from day to day)

We didn't have room for homework and snack, but decided homework could go on their palm, and who needs a reminder about snack time anyways!

Thanks, Katherine!

On a totally unrelated note, I have to introduce you to one of my new favorite blogs. Jen at Amazing Trips. This woman will very soon have developed the patience of a saint. She seems to manage life with triplet toddlers with aplomb. (YES, that is THREE toddlers!) She is ingenious, funny, informative and always makes me feel like a wimp for trying to manage with just one toddler. For fun reads, try May Day! May Day!, Tub Time...Trials & Tribulations, and the sweet Babies, babies, everywhere...

10 comments:

  1. Thanks, Nettie. You are too kind. We have trouble with the "stuff" after school, too. How many mornings have I had to find a lunch box in someone's backpack because it never got unpacked the day before?? I never thought of using the "finger" method for this purpose. You are on to something!

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  2. I am going to use this, thanks to Kathrine, and for you for passing it on! My kids say it on the computer screen and had to know what it was! Excellent!

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  3. I am checking out Katherine's tip. I just saw the pics from Memorial Day--your girls are so cute! I want another girl!

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  4. It is so nice to know that it works. I think even my 2-year old can do the finger one.

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  5. Aww ... you are way too nice to plug my blog like that!

    The tips that I've picked up from you (and others) on WWFMW have been awesome. I'd really have to strain my brain to come up with something clever like what I've seen suggested.

    Has anyone discussed the "Snooze" button on the alarm? Or ... turning off the baby monitor?? Those are two things that work GREAT for me! :)

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  6. After school chores are hard for us too. Maybe, eventually they'll get it.

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  9. That is really nice to hear. thank you for the update and good luck. SD-WAN

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