children | Nice Family Homestead

Getting Organized in 2015! #1 Chore Charts

Hello 2015! We are pretty much settled into our new homestead and it’s time to get serious about the future of the homestead. So I decided that 2015 will be the year to get fully organized and put a plan in place. Of course I’m sure that plan will change as it always does, but if you know me, you know that I can’t function without ORGANIZATION!

In order for me to focus on the growth of the outside homestead, I need the INSIDE homestead to be running efficiently. I found several great websites that offer practical suggestions and methods to get your home running smoothly. I will be sharing these tips in a series of posts.

First up – CHORE CHARTS. woot woot! I love my kids, but if I’m not on top of them to get things put away, it won’t happen. I’ve been guilty of doing all the chores on my own because I know I can do it faster and, ahem, better. It’s true, but that doesn’t make it right. I need to teach my children responsibility and good work ethic. I want them to be a part of the work in this family. That said, here is the chore chart system I came up with.

I used this template for my chore pages. I printed these chore cards to use. I then laminated everything and used velcro dots to interchange the cards. Each day the kids have morning chores, evening chores and chores to earn money. The cards are removed and placed in basket when complete.

At the end of the day I count the money cards and put the money earned into their piggy banks.

When the piggy banks are full, we will count the change, exchange it for paper dollars and records in their money tracker books. Here is the money tracker plan I followed.

Happy organizing!

Mama Nice 🙂

For Those That Care For Children….

I can remember the day I picked up this book. I was in college, walking out of class and noticed a pile of books sitting in the hallway that were free to take. I picked this one up because #1 – my major was Elementary Ed ,#2 – it was super skinny and looked like an easy read, #3 – I was a nanny at the time. I wanted as much advice as I could get – but I didn’t like to read.

This book has sat on my bookshelf and traveled with me for 12 years and I finally got around to reading it. What a WONDERFUL little book! If you are a parent of a preschooler, volunteer in the church nursery, babysit the kids down the street, have grandkids or are planning to have your own kids – READ this book!

A few quotes from the book:

“Every question a child asks is a real inquiry and needs an answer.”

” Children learn most effectively in a place where love abounds and people feel connected. They learn best in a place where they don’t feel rushed, where they are cradledin stretches of time.”

As a busy mom of 3, I know it’s easy to lose touch with what’s best for the kids in an attempt to stay afloat in our culture. This little book reminded me what is really important.

Enjoy! 🙂 Mama Nice