by Donna | Apr 15, 2010
“Before I knew it, it was time to set the table for lunch. Josiah and I raced to see who could get done with our jobs first. I slowed down at the end so Josiah could catch up—then I let him win! Mommy took me into her room alone and gave me a million hugs. She said she was so happy that I was learning to see how others feel—and that I make Josiah feel important. I think she’ll probably tell Daddy, and he’ll say, “Jonathan, Mommy told me a good report about you!” I love it when he says that—he always has a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes when he does.”*
Those who have already had built-in chore sessions for many years have probably found what I have found: chore sessions change from season to season and year to year. Our chore sessions now are drastically different than they were ten years ago. Our chores sessions now are amazingly different than they were many years ago when I had seven children fourteen and under at home. I have less “chorers” now than I have had since my oldest three were prescholers. However, we also have less work. We can whip up mashed potatoes and baked steak in no time flat for five of us—compared to the laborious meals we used to make when there were nine of us. Time has a way of changing everything.
The most successful chore schedule I have found is that of the before-meals sessions (though we’ve done after meal sessions, twice a day, all-work-done-before-read-aloud, and many other methods with success too). More on this later in the week!
It helps when developing your chore schedule to think about things that will influence it. How you organize your chore sessions will be dependent upon the following things (plus more, I’m sure):
*How many people you have completing chores each day
*The ages and training of those doing the chores
*Your expectations (!)
*How many small children you have (i.e. how many big messes you have to clean up everyday in addition to chore sessions!)
*Whether you are just doing daily jobs during chores or trying to scatter weekly work among the chore sessions too
*Whether you have any other systems in place to take care of some work (i.e. Friday afternoon family cleaning, chef for the day for meal preps, mega cooking meals in freezer, maid (!), etc.)
*How many activities everyone is involved in and how often kids (and parents!) are actually home to do the chores
*Whether you do most of the cooking or delegate that to others
*What you eat for your meals (leftovers for lunch take less time and can be done by younger children than cooking a hot lunch from scratch; some children who go to school eat breakfast and lunch at school—this would lessen the grocery shopping and food preparations considerably during the school year)
*Whether your children are trained to re-use clean, already-worn clothing and not create unnecessary laundry or not
*Whether your children go to school each day, making more work first thing in the mornings but making fewer messes all day long
*Your view of housework (i.e. you feel that it is Mom’s job—and you only give token jobs to children—and feel guilty for giving those vs. you see all work as every one’s and do not have a problem dividing it all up among the “tenants”!)
We have taught our children to work hard and long from very early ages. Our three oldest children could do amazing things when they were very young. I can remember when Kara (number four) was seven years old and whined about making toast for breakfast. I would say to her, “When Kayla (first daughter, second child) was your age, she made the bread from scratch, baked it, sliced it, then toasted it for breakfast!”
Now I don’t focus on amazing feats—simply keeping the house picked up, the laundry all done, dishes completed, and easy meals prepared are my goals for my three busy sons, Ray, and me. I now work thirty hours a week in ministry and teaching, in addition to homeschooling our three sons. Again, time changes so many things. However, these changes have forced me to take a look at how we can “get it all done” more and more—and to find creative solutions to challenges.
Tomorrow: more chore tips–dividing up the work in chore sessions. Then putting it all together. Then age appropriate chore lists. Can you tell I’m having fun writing about chores???
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
by Donna | Apr 3, 2010
“Mommy read out loud from a chapter book while we ate. I’m starting to kind of like chapter books, even though they don’t have any pictures; I can make the pictures in my head now.”*
I love the instruction we received twenty years ago about teaching your children everything all the time! It is based on a passage in Deuteronomy about when you should talk to your children about God (what he’s done for you; about his love, justice, mercy, etc; everything about him!):
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” Deuteronomy 6:5-8 (NKJV)
It essentially lists four key times, times that might be considered “useless” for instruction, but yet are actually very “teachable moments”:
1. When you rise up—in the mornings before the busy-ness of the day begins
2. When you sit down—anytime you are just sitting around with your kids (while you’re waiting, driving, etc.)
3. When you walk by the way—again while just walking through life (at the grocery, taking a walk, going to your next event or appointment, etc.)
4. When you lie down—bedtime!
In the “Jonathan’s Journal” passage for today, Jonathan enjoyed listening to a chapter book being read aloud while he ate breakfast—the first two opportune times in our Deuteronomy verse—when you rise up and when you sit down.
These Old Testament verses are obviously not law or commandments. But like many other passages throughout the Bible—they are good, common sense ideas that yield tremendous fruit. (Doing things the Bible says has that effect!) Incorporate teaching times—via talking, reading aloud, listening to audios together, etc. into times that are already part of your life.
We are all our children’s first—and most important—teachers, whether our children are homeschooled, private schooled, or public schooled. We have the four opportunities listed in Deuteronomy to use as teaching times—times to tell our kids about the importance of good character, to talk about God and His ways, to reiterate the sacrifice Christ made for us so that we could live forever in heaven, to emphasize the importance of people and relationships, to instruct in how to get along with others, and so much more.
The next time you are “with your children in the way,” or you “rise up in the morning,” or you “sit down with them for a meal,” or you “lay them down for sleep,” consider the “teachable moments that are before you—and teach your children the Old Testament, common-sense, heart-reaching way.
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
by Donna | Mar 19, 2010
Over the next two weeks, I will be giving insights into parenting preschoolers (and some toddler info too). Hope you will join us. Today I am posting my unpublished children’s book, Jonathan’s Journal, in its entirety. I will use portions of this each day in my blog about preschoolers and toddlers. Thanks for joining us!
I got up early this morning—Mom said she barely had her eyes open—and I got sent back to bed with books FOR HOURS!
Mom said she set the timer for half an hour, but I think she made a mistake. Finally, I got to get up, and I made my bed.
When Mama came in to check on me, she picked me up, and we swirled and swirled ‘coz she was so happy that I remembered to make my bed without being told.
I woke my little brother up GENTLY, and we wrestled a little before Mom came and took us into her bed to snuggle. Mommy and Daddy’s bed is so warm it must have some kind of special heater in it. Mommy says it’s warm because they’re so in love. Does love really make things warm?
Mommy read us our “Little Eyes Bible,” and I knew all of the answers when she asked the questions at the end. I let Josiah answer the really easy ones, so he would be happy. Mother read us our blessings, then held us close and sang Josiah’s favorite song that Mommy made up: “Precious Baby.” Josiah said that song is Jakie’s now, but Mama said it is still ours, too.
Next we had to get dressed and groomed. I had to brush my teeth three times before I got them good. I threw a TEENY fit because I wanted to wear my new blue shirt that’s for going places, and today is a stay at home day, so Mommy wanted me to wear play clothes. My little fit didn’t do any good—I wore the play clothes.
My big sister made yolky eggs for breakfast. I had to butter the toast—which is the worst job ‘coz it takes FOREVER. It’s worth it when I push a corner of the toast into the yolk, and the yellow puddle oozes out. I love yolky eggs.
Mommy read out loud from a chapter book while we ate. I’m starting to kind of like chapter books, even though they don’t have any pictures; I can make the pictures in my head now.
During breakfast clean-up, we listened to a story tape, which I LOVE. After breakfast, Mommy, Josiah, Kara, and I read some animal stories since that is what Kara is studying in our homeschool. I love animal stories and begged Mommy to read another one, but she didn’t have time because my big brother needed her help on his math. She said maybe we would read an extra one tomorrow—I’ll be sure to remind her.
I had to help with Baby Jacob. He can be so grouchy sometimes! Luckily, Mommy let me give him Cheerios to quiet him down, so I got some too.
Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time, even though Mom said that she has reminded us every day for the last month.
Before I knew it, it was time to set the table for lunch. Josiah and I raced to see who could get done with our jobs first. I slowed down at the end so Josiah could catch up—then I let him win! Mommy took me into her room alone and gave me a million hugs. She said she was so happy that I was learning to see how others feel—and that I make Josiah feel important. I think she’ll probably tell Daddy, and he’ll say, “Jonathan, Mommy told me a good report about you!” I love it when he says that—he always has a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes when he does.
During lunch Mother read the older kids’ history book out loud. I kind of like it too. It’s about the Pilgrims who rode on the Mayflower. I like the Indians. She read more of it while we cleaned up lunch.
Right after lunch Josiah, Kara, and I picked out our stories for story time. We snuggled on the couch with Mommy and read them. I was so happy ‘coz it was my day, and I got to pick two stories today. I picked Curious George and a book about astronauts. Story time is my favorite time of the day.
After story time, Josiah had to take his nap, and I set the timer for half an hour and played on the computer. My big brother let me play his World War II game. It’s really fun.
Josiah slept FOREVER today, so I got bored. It stopped raining after lunch, so Mommy said I should go outside and jump on the trampoline—I think I was getting on her nerves. My three big sisters got done with their school work and came out and jumped. We played “California Earthquake” until Mommy finished her writing on the computer.
When Josiah finally woke up, Mommy, Josiah, and I played puzzles on the floor. We did our huge ABC floor puzzle. It’s really neat. We left it out for Daddy to see.
The next thing I knew it was time for evening chores. I didn’t even get to play army men yet! Josiah and I had to unload the dishwasher and set the table. Kayla and Cami are making bbq chicken tonight. Yum!
Daddy called and said that he is not going to be home for another half an hour, so my brother helped me set up army men. We worked and worked, making the forts and setting up all the cannons and everything. We got done setting up just in time to eat dinner. Mommy said we could leave it out for later.
During dinner Joshua and Kayla told some jokes from their joke books, and Mommy and Daddy talked about all of the yard work we have to do on Saturday. I don’t know why adults like to work so much! After dinner, Daddy read to us from the Bible and we sang. I chose “Father Abraham,” which is my favorite song ‘coz I like the motions. We cleaned the kitchen quickly so Daddy, Joshua, Josiah, and I could play army men.
After we played army men, it was almost time for bed. Mommy gave us a five minute warning—which meant we only had five more minutes of fun before we had to clean up our toys. I wanted to leave it set up for tomorrow, but Mommy said tomorrow is “grocery and doctor day,” so we will be gone in the morning. She even said I could wear my new blue shirt! I can’t wait.
We got ready for bed and Daddy, Kara, Josiah, and I did our “Picture Bible.” Daddy always stops at the most exciting parts!
After he hugged and kissed Kara and Josiah good-night, Dad asked me to sit on his lap for a minute. He held me close, smiled real big, got watery eyes, and then said, “Jonathan, Mommy told me a good report about you!”
