Organization

Over the summer, as we played together and relaxed, we got out of the habit of being neat and tidy. Now that school has started again, and we are all adjusting to a new routine, I have noticed just how messy everything has become. This problem came to a head about 2 days ago when I asked the kids to help clean up and was told (very rudely) that it is "my job". What followed was several hours (yes I said HOURS) of crying and screaming and arguing. It became very clear that a new system was needed, and this is what we came up with. I hope we will have less contention and more harmony now that everyone's responsibilities are clearly outlined.

This is our "organizational wall."

As you can see, I have made little pictures, (since most of my kids can't read), of all the jobs they have to do every day. This is Caleb's chart. Everyday, he has to: make his bed, bathe, brush his teeth, put toys away, pick up dirty clothes, keep shoes in the shoe bin, and pick up the books.

At the end of the day, if all their jobs have been completed without arguing, and in a timely manner, then the kids get an M&M or two as a reward. They also get to put a smiley face in the square on their chart for that day.

Wish us luck! Here's hoping we have a cleaner home and a lot less arguing.