Don’t have a manic Monday!
Every Sunday, my 11-year-old does her laundry. Yes, she puts it in the washing machine, then the dryer, takes it out, folds it and puts most of it away. What she doesn’t put away goes on hangers marked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Do I sound like a proud mama? Yes, I am. Apparently, she was perfectly capable of doing this more than a year ago, but god forbid I allow my children to grow up.
Don’t get me wrong, it took some training to make this happen, but it’s well worth the time invested to know that all I have to do is ask, “Have you picked out your clothes for the week?” Among other chores that my oldest is capable of are emptying the dishwasher, walking the dog, vacuuming, removing the sheets from her bed, oh and making the bed the everyday!
Make it easy for your children to pick out their clothes for the week by labeling hangers. I used alpha letters and some over-sized Avery Shipping Tags (purchased at Staples). The ones shown above are for my nine-year-old. For my oldest, I simply put the letter for the day of the week.
I still sound like a broken record (or maybe I should say a scratched CD) in the morning, barking the list of what needs to get done, but happily, most of the time when I ask if something’s been done, like “have you brushed your teeth?”–the answer is usually, “Yes!”
Later this week, look for my post on how I got my children to make their own lunch for school!
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I have a toddler and an infant. I use a sweater organizer in the closet. Outfit, socks, hair ties for each day of the week fill each square. That way, if dad is helping me get them ready, it's an easy thing for him to do.
Hi there,
I came to you via Heather's blog. This has shamed me into getting my chidlrne to do more. I have four children aged 9 -18 who do very little. I vow to change all that after reading your blog!