Toddler Chores and "Chore Sticks"

I've finally came to a conclusion on the chores subject with my kids. I was unsure at first about issuing chores to them, and worried that they were too young to do much. I debated with myself over this for a while but then I decided that they didn't have to do much, but they should have to do something. I've even decided on getting them each a piggy bank so they can have an "allowance". With an allowance I'll be better able to teach them about money and how to use it properly. Here's what I've come up with so far for a list of chores that they can split up.

Chores:

• picking up their own toys
• collecting dirty clothes and putting them in the hamper
• dusting with socks on their hands to make it fun  (though this may require spot check)
• window washing (mom had me doing this early, it's fun even though it needs spot checking!)
• collecting dirt dishes and putting them in the sink
• throwing away trash
• "spot" vacuuming... they're trying to learn this one and doing pretty well
• washing or dusting base boards (just the right height for this!)
• wiping down the lower cabinets
• help add to the compost pile
• weed
• water plants (they love doing this)
• "making" their own beds
• emptying the small trash bins (like bathroom)
• unloading some of the groceries
• sorting laundry (dark and light)
• fold small laundry items, like washcloths
• "mopping"
• feeding snickers
• rinse the unbreakable dishes

I think that's really enough for the three of them, they're just not big enough for much else yet. The trick to getting them do these things is praising them and not adding too much on them at once. I'm going to come up with a more detailed schedule for this and of course divide the chores up appropriately. Livvy can't do every thing the other two can and Bubba tends to be better at one thing where as Tobi is better at another. Some may think that this list is too extensive considering Tobi is 4 Bubba is 3 and Livvy is 20 months, but believe me, between the three of them they've already learned to do and are fully capable of completing every thing on that list. This is just a way to get it organized.

I really like the idea of chore sticks. Basically you get a bunch of popsicle sticks and keep them in a little container like a vase or mason jar and on each stick is a chore. To keep them seperated I'm going to dip each of the sticks in four different colors. Each of my little ones will be assigned a color and there won't be any issue getting it done! The fourth color will be a chore that any of them can accomplish. The chore sticks will look something like this:

I'll do what I can to keep everyone updated on how well this works for us! I'm still not sure how we're going to start our learning about money. Basically we've got a few of the coins and dollars memorized and we know that we need money to buy stuff. Tobi is grasping some small basic addition and subtraction but that's it. We will press onward though, I only teach my children at their pace. Each child learn differently.

I'm a huge believer in having structure for children, and I'm striving to get us into a good healthy schedule. Rules are important. I'm not huge on rules at all, but they are important. I've seen people my age that were never made to follow rules or never taught how the world works and it never turns out well for them. I don't want that to happen to my kids- trust me, it's kinda scary. If any one else has any ideas of what other chores could be added, feel free to add a comment!

Tobi and Livvy Share a Room

I smile because you're my sister... I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it!

                                       

For the girl's room I was obviously, again, on a tight budget. Livvy and Tobi like a lot of different things- like Bubba, but they tend to focus on the basic princess flower type of genre instead of being all over the place like their male counterpart. Again, I'm going to have to be generic. Character stuff is just way too expensive these days just because it's from a kid's movie or show. The girls, being that generally focused, were a lot easier to come up with ideas for. I've decided to go with an outside kind of theme. Sort of a field full of flowers type of idea.

As far as their ceiling goes I'm still undecided. I like the idea of draping fabrics a lot like what's in the picture below. I feel like it would add a lot of much needed color. However, I'm really really in love with the idea of doing just your regular sky. The cloud mobile type hangings would be perfect for the field of flowers theme. The ceilings are kind of low in this house because it's older so the draping of the fabric may also make the room appear very small to us adults. Another reason I seriously want the clouds is that I can completely cover their ceiling with glow in the dark stars. Walmart also sells a remote control moon. A moon you guys, and it's only around 20$. It's basically a night light, but guess what else it does? Go on, guess! Not only does this moon double as a night light and operate easily by remote but it goes through all the moon cycles too! Is that not the coolest thing ever?! Yeah, gotta have one of those for each of the kids rooms.

                                                                  


As for the wall decorations I would really like to do butterflies "flocking" and paper flowers. Both very cheap and inexpensive. I really like the idea of slowly collecting butterflies to put on a random wall kind of like Bubba's eclectic wall. I see butterflies of all kinds at thrift stores and dollar store around Spring. There are the old plastic ones that used to be in style and brass ones and of course the cheap metal ones meant for gardens. I really do love the butterfly stakes you see that are made out of a stocking type material. I want all different styles and sizes of butterflies for that wall. The flowers I'll make myself.
                                                                  


I'm also going to put up cute canvases in their room, like Bubba's. Just more girl oriented.
                                                               


Over the girl's beds I'm going to put mosquito net type hangings made out of tulle and hula hoops. Both my girls share the same initials so over the center of their night stand I'm going to put up yarn wrapped pink, purple, and yellow letters. I'd like to pin strings of little paper or felt butterflies to the mosquito nets too.

                                                           


So what do you guys think? Do you think my girls will absolutely love it? Won't it be cute?

Bubba's Room

BUBBA AND MOMMY!

Every thing has been so hectic getting moved. We're trying to figure out our new schedules, room placement and where we're going to get all the furniture we'll need. To be honest I've got that last part figured out already. Thrift stores! Yes, you should have seen that coming. I thrift store almost every thing! Even though we haven't gotten moved yet I can't help but to think about how I'm going to decorate the kids rooms now. The creative side of me does not allow me to not think about it. I have to. It's like a mental deficiency. If I don't plan these things out they'll keep me up at night. Even then they might still keep me up at night! So, I've been planning out the rooms.

Unfortunately, I have a very tight budget. A very tight budget. That's what makes me me though! I adapt to my situation and being "thrifty" is how I adapt. Re purposing and creativity also helps a lot. Right now I've got friends saving me their diaper boxes because I know I'll use them in decorating somehow. Brandon is really good at woodworking so that solves that issue!

Bubba's room is going to be a little harder for me. He's interested in so much stuff. Bubba likes bugs and super heroes (Iron Man, Batman the Hulk and Spiderman mainly), cars (and the movie), sports and just about everything that's boy related. Right now I can't afford to buy the nice character stuff so that knocks that out. I think we're going to have to stick with a general mish mash of generic boy type stuff. Bubba is very eclectic so I think that's how I'm going to make his room.

I've only found a couple of ideas so far, which I'll supplement with thrift store finds.I really like this baseball picture. It's psalm 96:12 and says "Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it". I love that!

I also really like this Peter Pan silhouette that I found through Google images. You can attach this to the top of a lampshade and when the lamp is turned on it will look like Peter Pan's shadow is on the ceiling- just like the movie!

this is definitely going on his wall!

I also want to print out a couple of cute sayings in a cute font probably KristenITC and frame them for his wall. I like this one "Boys will be boys or so they say, but I'm raising my boy to be a man one day. Shouting is not nice, and kicking hurts. No one likes their face in the dirt. So boys that fight, and kick and shout will be boys that sit in TIME OUT!" I feel that if you knew my son you'd see how perfect that is. I also like this one; "Brothers Are Forever. I'll look after you and I'll always take your side...Even though we grow up and travel far and wide...But I'll let no one hurt you or tease you today...'cause I'm your brother and beside you I'll stay."

As for the furniture I really want to stay eclectic. I like the way this night stand is painted for him, I could do this easily with a thrift store find, and some paint. He would love this! I'm thinking I might already have a night stand that's perfect for this type of project. I'd also like to go to Lowe's and buy some decorative knobs in a sports theme to go on it. Maybe a football and a soccer ball. I'm probably going to do the Lego table at the top around the same time, and keep it on the other side of the room with his toys.

This lamp will be going on the baseball night stand. Well, not this lamp exactly, but one just like it. He's gonna love this! This  firetruck lamp will be on something for sure because that is just too cute and can be done super easily with a lamp kit from a hobby or craft store!                                                                   

I'm definitely going to be putting this on his wall, most likely under the cute little framed sayings. It will look very eclectic when I'm done but I'm hoping I can tie it all in together. Packages of three of four canvases can be purchased really cheaply at walmart. The little tubes of paint that I like to use are less than a dollar as well. On another wall I'm just going to be eclectic completely. In the center I'm going to put up yarn wrapped letters that say BUBBA. One will be brown and made to look like a football, another one will be green with those little plastic frogs and leaves glued to it, there will also be one made to look like a race track, a monster and a snake. Around the BUBBA will be all the random things. What I really, really want to do is find a way to get a plaster mount to hang. Preferably a rhino. Why? Because I saw one once and couldn't stop thinking just how "bubba" it was. I still have no idea how I'm going to go about making that, but I'll figure it out. I always do! I've also got my eye on a football shaped rug at Walmart, but it's 40$. I'm hoping I'll be able to find something else before I have to spend 40 bucks on a little rug. It is awfully cute though! However, I am totally willing to spend 28$ on this basketball bean bag chair. I sure am. Walmart also sells a material that's got holes in it, think like the

same material professional football jersey's are made of. I'm going to make curtains out of that. Yeah, I've put a lot of time into this, but not as much as it seems. Not at all, this is what I'm good at! Just wait till you see his bed! If I can't find a car bed or something similar for cheap (craigslist!) then I'm going to make something out of cardboard. That's a big secret though and will be another post. All I have to do after that is accent with some fun throw pillows and blankets and voila!