Now that both M and B are ~officially~ grade schoolers, we are all very happy to have a much more streamlined routine. But that routines comes with a lot more responsibilities, like packing and unpacking book bags, homework, daily hygiene, etc. Luckily, with a few practice runs and explanations, a lot of these responsibilities can be taken on by the boys themselves. With that in mind, I set out to create a couple of chore lists and, perhaps more importantly, reward mechanism, to help us tackle it all.
First I broke tasks into morning versus afternoon. And while I want all of the help I can get, I also wanted to make sure this first official chore list wasn't too daunting or it would ruin this effort and all future efforts too. So I started with the basics - hygiene (brush teeth), nourishment (eating breakfast) and personal accountability (packing the bag). The boys only have 20-30 minutes between wake up and bus pick up, so I thought these critical but relatively easy tasks were a good start.
Then I thought about what needed to happen after school. I tried to balance that they would have more time to complete the chores, but also could be drained of all energy types - physical, emotional and mental. To reinforce the idea that we're all a part of a family team, they each got a household task to complete. Then it was a bit of a reversal of the morning tasks as they are next tasked with unpacking and putting their shoes, bookbags and coats away. Finally, a few more personal accountability tasks relating to homework and cleanup.
I drafted and even printed a list before going through one more time to make adjustments. One of those adjustments was concerning the reward piece. I had originally planned on $2 per day, per child for everyday they did everything. But that seemed a bit too much at this young age and I knew they would only want that amount to go up. So after adding a new task (put toys away) and adjusting the reward per day to $1, we ended up with the lists below.
As you can see, they're pretty similar with the exception of their first afternoon task. Red is the dog, so M is responsible for feeding him everyday.
We're actually in the third week of school now, and the boys are doing alright. We hung the lists in a place they can reach and I laminated them so we can use a black dry erase marker to check off the tasks as we go. Some days they are more motivated than others, but we've overcome the initial confusion and resistance. Consistency is a challenge, especially in the mornings, but I'm still hopeful we're in the transition period and that will come along shortly.
In the meantime, friendly reminders and consistency on my end are key. Here's to hoping - someday - I get a little bit of time back!
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