Yeah, so it’s officially the season. The big S - Summer. The kids have been out of school for a week now and have already forgotten how to make a bed and rinse a dish. I think it’s a condition akin to Spring Fever but with more domestic results. All year long, the children are made to learn and behave with tales of summer vacation idling dangled in their sights like a big, smelly cube of cheese in front of a starving mouse. I guess I can’t blame the kiddos but something has to be done.
Last summer, if I recall correctly, the symptoms got worse week by week. TV watching, junk food eating, slovenly living, video game playing and sudden and instant bouts of unexplained boredom increase as the season progresses. This year, though, I won’t be driven mad by empty cabinets, piles of clothes & toys, aching thumbs and entertainment seekers. I plan to fight the damn bug with a mild shot of structure..and to be truthful, I’m afraid it’s going to be more painful for me than the kids.
I’ve already started my campaign with chore charts and a Just Do It list posted on the close family friend we all turn to in times like these - the refrigerator. I’m making daily reading and swimming (or some form of exercise) mandatory and anyone caught not cleaning up after themselves will be shot. I might need to revise that last one but it’s a start, right?
How do you deal with this condition in your house?
Pile in here. I need to add to the list!
Can I copy your list and put it on my fridge? Let me know it it works.
Your list is great………the chores that are to be done in my house are the same ones that have to be done in the winter/school season. Only they can be done slower as you know it is a lazy, fun time.
I remember those summers with a shudder of horror. The good thing about “big girls” is that they have jobs and summer classes and they have finally accepted that cleaning up after themselves is mandatory. I think your plan sounds good. I hope it works.
I make them both read books - real books with chapters, not just magazines and comic books every day. I make them both play their instruments every day for at least 20 minutes. I make them do math problems. I keep them busy at educational type camps. They need to keep their brains active.
As for the messy house… I’m still working on that one. I take TV away for slovenly behavior. That seems to work quite well.
Best of luck to you.
xo
LBC
We just wrote up a daily schedule last night! I wanted one mainly so I could carve out some time for myself to get some exercise (lap swimming). Wish us luck!
Great list. At my house, if I wrote the list, I would be the only one following it.
We started using My Reward Board this summer and so far it’s been a HUGE help. There has been NO whinning, they are reading and doing 2 homework pages daily, playing outside, and actually getting along.
*sigh*
It’s only week 3 though. We’ll see how the rest of the summer goes!
No pleasures until the work is done. Guitar practice daily for at least 15 minutes if any whining at all occurs during this time we reset the clock and the 15 minutes begins again. We set aside a 30 minute block of time every morning and alot of evenings and everyone does a quick run through of the house picking up and putting away. Sometimes it works better than others. I do all the washing and folding and each is required to put away their own laundry but I am finding lately that someone has just been piling it up on the floor where it can’t be seen from the door. That someone lost a day of swimming.
Oh, Happy Day - LOL ! Good luck with your lists!
I feel so inadequate now, with all of you and your lists & organization & such.
I just say “go do something, Mommy’s working”. hehehe
The only bad thing is that my daughter doesn’t really have any other kids around to play with (except her brother)…luckily she entertains herself pretty well with a book or the trampoline or, if I give her enough guilt, she’ll clean her room. Guilt is good. It works.
My kids are all grown now. BUT, like Chris (above) we had a Reward Board. And even when they got a “tude” that they didn’t want rewards, THEN the video games were taken away, staying up late was gone, tv? history.
It took about 2 weeks. But mostly because I wasn’t vigilant enough and had to stick to my guns. I would feel guilty and give in - letting them know they didn’t have to do anything. But once I followed through, they did too.
Also, reading books (and taking them to the library) was a good thing. They had to read every day and we would talk about it at dinner. They are now voracious readers and giving them Barnes and Nobles gift cards helped! It was one of their rewards. I got to have my latte and they sat in comfortable chairs and sofas at B&N AND got to spend their gift card. It was great.
The main thing is to remember one thing - never tell your kids the consequences of their actions unless you are going to commit to following-through!
I would always remind my two girls that they aren’t living at the Holiday Inn. There isn’t room service or maid service. They got the hint.