Mum stuff | Things I love Thursday...

As you will have been reading...I'm on a mission this year to get organised in the home...and the kids are coming along for the ride whether they like it or not.  I've become a regular visitor to the Organised Housewife's blog. Katrina shares fabulous, simple ideas that work in her home and I've been trying a few out. I recently printed out her morning/afternoon routine sheets for our family to follow. I've hung them in the kids rooms and the dining/family room as a visual reminder of what we need to achieve each day. The kids love it, and run over to make sure they're doing it all in order. We started last week so that by the time school starts next Monday, they'll have had loads of practice.

One way to get the kids to participate is to use a "rewards" chart. There are plenty on the market, or you could draw one up yourself.  We've used them before for toilet training and it worked a treat, so time to try again for other chores. I found this one today at draw! pilgram and totally fell in love with it!  Its completely free, and fun looking, so I've printed off one for each of the kids. Once I've figured out what tasks they're going to do, I'll laminate it and put some sticky magnets on the back so I can attach it to the fridge.  I might make/buy some cute animal magnets or something to use to fill in the leaves each day.

I'm thinking something along the lines of tidy room, make bed, set the table, listened to mum and dad, etc. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.  I've also decided the kids will start to earn pocket money along the way as well. What good is a rewards chart if there's no reward at the end? Having said that, with rewards come consequences. Complete the sheet and at the end of the week they'll receive $5 pocket money (half of which needs to be saved). Miss something on the chart and 20c will be deducted for each blank leaf. Sounds fair to me.

What do you do to motivate your children to participate in helping out around the home?

Cheers, Lis.