Diaper Swappers

~whitehologram~ · 11-26-2012, 12:43 PM

Same here. We have to keep on top of the housework daily or it very very quickly becomes overwhelming and too much for any one to deal with.

The kids have to put away their own shoes and coats when they come home, their own lunch boxes, their school bags, their toys (as a group), and the clothes they (themselves) wore that day.

I am strict in that I wont let someone else put away the lunch box from someone else...there are rewards and punishments for doing or not doing a job.

If someone else does your job I cant reward you for it nor can I doubly reward the other person who did your job. I'm not aiming to teach them to get everything for themselves. Just to take care of their own things and to encourage their siblings to do the same.

It's a good system and it's working but still I have the elephant to eat...and to take a big bite of it daily.

I had to do chores as a kid too but their were no rewards and always punishments. The tasks were too big and overwhelmed us kids. We felt we were being taken for granted and abused as child slaves.

I reason with the kids that they aren't doing anything for anyone other than themselves...and in turn doing those things is doing things for me and the family as a whole. If they take care of the things they use it means I am not doing it. If I'm not doing that I have time and more willing (in my heart) to do extra things that I might not have had to do extras like make cookies or cakes or to take them out on afternoons out.

They are seeing the process works and they are getting more out of me and they are enjoying family life more.

~whitehologram~ · 11-26-2012, 12:44 PM

Oh and we have a tiny flat. I know we have too much stuff...which doesn't make it easy to keep tidy but I'm getting rid of stuff....and it's working.

~whitehologram~ · 11-26-2012, 12:52 PM

The nice thing is that Fynn is getting to that lovely point in his life where he's not into everything. I don't have to watch him every single second of the day. He's safe to play in a different room. He can draw without me being a hands width away from him...even cutting with scissors without fear of him cutting into something he shouldn't.

Perfect example is the plastic sliding door we put in the TV cabinet has been off the cabinet for the past 2 days. I sorted through all of the DVDs. I had them spread out all over the floor. He saw that and didn't touch them. I put them all back in their cases and sorted them in to genres. All back into the cabinet....He hasn't touched it.

~whitehologram~ · 11-26-2012, 12:56 PM

When I came home from work, I put my jacket away, Then my shoes away...I came into the living room and put my bag on the floor by my feet and my keys on the desk.

Fynn too my bag and said Iss raum it auf (broken German/English for saying he wants to put my bag away) and then he took my keys and said he wanted to put it on the hook.

He's a sweetheart.

cherylchoo · 11-26-2012, 01:09 PM

Oh they all have chores. It's the shoes/jackets/hats that has gotten away from me. Like you said, probably because it's a "secret" room, LOL. I've never had a secret room before.

We have to keep the door shut on it because it's not insulated thus would freeze the whole house. So I will clean it up, like today, then after the kids come home it will look like a school bus threw up in there.

I am sure it is that there is not a special place for each thing. "hang up coats and backpacks, put shoes in a cubby, put hats/gloves in your drawer" results in hats/gloves in their drawer but likely not much else where it should be. So that is an easy fix. And DH and I have been dumping things on the w/d and in those cabinets because they are right there when we get home, and then we never see it again unless doing laundry. That is not so easy a fix.

That is our bad habit, but if we clear it out regularly it isn't too bad an issue.

They are really good about the rest of the house. Their rooms are always picked up, take five minutes when they are out of sorts. They fold and put away all the linens, the cloth napkins and kitchen rags, etc. The basement does get junky sometimes but again only 15 minutes to put it all away, even if everything is out. The library is the worst room usually, they get out so many books and it takes time to put them back because library books go one place and our books go another, and there are subsets of where our books go. They are often looking for extra chores for change to put in their coin banks for the church. But again, like Janine said, they are past the ages where they get into everything and don't put it away.

jwjbbrown · 11-26-2012, 02:07 PM

Busy evening for me.

I have to go home finish off the stew so it is ready for MH and Jerry. Then off to a board meeting, then home to eat and do the evening routine.

~whitehologram~ · 11-26-2012, 02:11 PM

That's a very busy evening. I hope you can get some rest after it.

I'm going to go to bed too. I'm so tired tonight.

everyone!

jwjbbrown · 11-26-2012, 03:44 PM

Ok stew looking good. Off to my meeting.

lemurmommies · 11-26-2012, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwjbbrown

Mel, Erin Black got engaged over the break to Phil who is now living and teaching here and bought a house.

That is great news! What school is he teaching at?

Had a long but good day today. It snowed this morning and the kids were crazy. Whew. Kept them mostly under control and managed to get what I wanted to do done despite not getting enough sleep last night due to the football game. Which was super fun, by the way!

I met with one of my profs from last year for coffee after work. It was nice to catch up and chat about our purchases from the One Of A Kind Show over the weekend. She has me wishing I has spent more money, though!

Waiting for Ru and E to get home so we can have supper.

redgirlsmama · 11-26-2012, 05:51 PM

home finally. I got up, sent kids to.school, did chores, drove to Fargo.with SIL for.a riding lesson.and then we brought My Continental Bunny home. That is her registered name, Bunny for.short. My butt is in a LOT of pain but it was fun! Then we had Chinese and drove home. Did chores, got her settled and made potato soup to use up some ham and.veg. now homework is done and I would kill for a hot bath and a glass of wine

11-26-2012, 12:43 PM	#21
~whitehologram~ Registered Users Formerly: whitehologram Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 54,260 Ratings: 7 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Basically it's Monday Same here. We have to keep on top of the housework daily or it very very quickly becomes overwhelming and too much for any one to deal with. The kids have to put away their own shoes and coats when they come home, their own lunch boxes, their school bags, their toys (as a group), and the clothes they (themselves) wore that day. I am strict in that I wont let someone else put away the lunch box from someone else...there are rewards and punishments for doing or not doing a job. If someone else does your job I cant reward you for it nor can I doubly reward the other person who did your job. I'm not aiming to teach them to get everything for themselves. Just to take care of their own things and to encourage their siblings to do the same. It's a good system and it's working but still I have the elephant to eat...and to take a big bite of it daily. I had to do chores as a kid too but their were no rewards and always punishments. The tasks were too big and overwhelmed us kids. We felt we were being taken for granted and abused as child slaves. I reason with the kids that they aren't doing anything for anyone other than themselves...and in turn doing those things is doing things for me and the family as a whole. If they take care of the things they use it means I am not doing it. If I'm not doing that I have time and more willing (in my heart) to do extra things that I might not have had to do extras like make cookies or cakes or to take them out on afternoons out. They are seeing the process works and they are getting more out of me and they are enjoying family life more. __________________ Shannon (10), Derry (8), Cameron (6), & Fynn (3) Last edited by ~whitehologram~; 11-26-2012 at 12:45 PM.

11-26-2012, 12:44 PM	#22
~whitehologram~ Registered Users Formerly: whitehologram Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 54,260 Ratings: 7 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Basically it's Monday Oh and we have a tiny flat. I know we have too much stuff...which doesn't make it easy to keep tidy but I'm getting rid of stuff....and it's working. __________________ Shannon (10), Derry (8), Cameron (6), & Fynn (3)

11-26-2012, 12:52 PM	#23
~whitehologram~ Registered Users Formerly: whitehologram Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 54,260 Ratings: 7 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Basically it's Monday The nice thing is that Fynn is getting to that lovely point in his life where he's not into everything. I don't have to watch him every single second of the day. He's safe to play in a different room. He can draw without me being a hands width away from him...even cutting with scissors without fear of him cutting into something he shouldn't. Perfect example is the plastic sliding door we put in the TV cabinet has been off the cabinet for the past 2 days. I sorted through all of the DVDs. I had them spread out all over the floor. He saw that and didn't touch them. I put them all back in their cases and sorted them in to genres. All back into the cabinet....He hasn't touched it. __________________ Shannon (10), Derry (8), Cameron (6), & Fynn (3)

11-26-2012, 12:56 PM	#24
~whitehologram~ Registered Users Formerly: whitehologram Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 54,260 Ratings: 7 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Basically it's Monday When I came home from work, I put my jacket away, Then my shoes away...I came into the living room and put my bag on the floor by my feet and my keys on the desk. Fynn too my bag and said Iss raum it auf (broken German/English for saying he wants to put my bag away) and then he took my keys and said he wanted to put it on the hook. He's a sweetheart. __________________ Shannon (10), Derry (8), Cameron (6), & Fynn (3)

11-26-2012, 01:09 PM	#25
cherylchoo Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: a Texan in the northern Detroit 'burbs Posts: 24,103 Ratings: 42 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Basically it's Monday Oh they all have chores. It's the shoes/jackets/hats that has gotten away from me. Like you said, probably because it's a "secret" room, LOL. I've never had a secret room before. We have to keep the door shut on it because it's not insulated thus would freeze the whole house. So I will clean it up, like today, then after the kids come home it will look like a school bus threw up in there. I am sure it is that there is not a special place for each thing. "hang up coats and backpacks, put shoes in a cubby, put hats/gloves in your drawer" results in hats/gloves in their drawer but likely not much else where it should be. So that is an easy fix. And DH and I have been dumping things on the w/d and in those cabinets because they are right there when we get home, and then we never see it again unless doing laundry. That is not so easy a fix. That is our bad habit, but if we clear it out regularly it isn't too bad an issue. They are really good about the rest of the house. Their rooms are always picked up, take five minutes when they are out of sorts. They fold and put away all the linens, the cloth napkins and kitchen rags, etc. The basement does get junky sometimes but again only 15 minutes to put it all away, even if everything is out. The library is the worst room usually, they get out so many books and it takes time to put them back because library books go one place and our books go another, and there are subsets of where our books go. They are often looking for extra chores for change to put in their coin banks for the church. But again, like Janine said, they are past the ages where they get into everything and don't put it away. __________________ Detroit-area SAHM to Rose 12/03, Ginger 11/05, and little Ian 4/08.