When you have children of various ages and have to find something that everyone would enjoy to keep them happy, consider these activities that are enjoyed my many.
1. Go outside for a walk. Collect leaves, grasses, rocks and other "treasures". At home, glue them into a large piece of paper making a collage. Enjoy the sandbox outside or in winter play in the snow.
2. Puzzles are fun. Have a variety of puzzles on hand of various difficulties.
3. Have a story time. All children love to hear a story.
4. Music time! Put on your favourite music and let the children dance. Even babies love to move to the music.
5. Creative art time. Cutting and pasting, fingerpainting, and painting are loved by children of all ages. You may have to simplify activities for yournger children, for example, precut the shapes for pasting
6. Bake or cook something. A great multi age activity. There is something every age child can do, like stirring or measuring. Give very young children a bowl and spoon to keep them occupied between their "jobs".
7. Nuturing is a "job" activity that can involve everyone. Water, feed or walk the dog (cat or fish). Water the houseplants. Sing to the baby.
8. Consider helping around the house an activity!
Setting the table, tidying, sort or fold laundry (I have been known to take dishtowels out of the drawer for a 3 year old to fold while I finish making a meal), and sweeping is very popular.
Even babies that cannot take part in these activities will enjoy watching, especially if you talk to them about what is going on.
Are you find getting out the door in the morning is mass confusion? Kids going to daycare or school, lunches to pack, kids to dress, things to remember....you're probably wondering what you can do to make it easier. There just isn't one set answer for you, but there are dozens of little things you can do to make it easier. Here are a few things that work. Pack the night before. You can even make it part of the bedtime routine and get the kids involved. Pack their lunches after supper and put in the refrigerator until the morning. Get help from your partner. Share the load, even the kids can help. One does the dishes and one packs lunch. One bathes the children and one lays out the clothes and tells the bedtime story. Trim the edges. It doesn't matter if the socks don't match. As long as they are dressed properly for the weather they will get through the day. Pick your battles carefully. Prioritize. There are some days, and we've all had them, that you just have to get through.
The best tip I can give you is that the children take their cue from you, If you are frazzled so are they.
Tell the kids (& spouse, if need be) "Thanks, but I'm not really Super Mom/Dad. I/we need your help. You need to learn the survival skills. Here's the list of chores. Would you like to choose which ones you'll do, or shall I choose for you?" Plus, if they have to help keep the house clean, they'll be less inclined to mess it up.
Reprinted with permission from Maria Gracia's FREE Get Organized Now! Newsletter. Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and Newsletter, filled with tips and ideas to help you get better organized, at the Get Organized Now! Web site. http://www.getorganizednow.com
Make a family calendar and post it where it is handy to all. Add children's appointments, lessons, team practices, deadlines for homework or tests, events, and family outings. Use a calendar with large squares. Post the children's chores and responsibilities on another calendar posted in the same area. If you can combine the two, great! Have your older children add updates on their own.
To make sorting clean laundry less of a hassle, have a separate laundry basket for each member of the family. I let my daughter pick out which color she wanted and she decorated it with bows. Each family member is responsible for putting away their clean clothes once the basket is filled.
No matter the age, a balance is always necessary in life. A balance between school (academic), social, excercise, and entertainment. Pushing one section of the balance too far, for example talking on the phone to your friends, or staying outside and playing basketball too long, will cause a problem somewhere else in the balance, in your schoolwork, for example. Time management skills are necessary to make sure that this balance stays intact.
CHART IT. Make a chart with rows for each day of the week, and columns for Chores, Homework, Activities and Assignments, and "I Want to...". Complete one for each person, or use color-coding to summarize on one chart. Then post on the fridge or keep in a family organizer. When they've completed their required tasks, they should be free to do their (reasonable) "I Want to..."s. This linking privileges with responsibilities is a crucial values lesson.
Reprinted with permission from Maria Gracia's FREE Get Organized Now! Newsletter. Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and Newsletter, filled with tips and ideas to help you get better organized, at the Get Organized Now! Web site. http://www.getorganizednow.com
If you have daughters that use hair barrettes and bobbles you may find them all over the place. Having a jar on their dresser works for some, but, then she may have to "dump" them out to find the pair she wants. Try this idea. She can make a nice, decorative storage utility from the following 3 ideas.
1. Hang a pretty ribbon on the back of her bedroom or bathroom door. Clip the barrettes to the ribbon. They are easy to access and use.
2. Make a dolly face from a paper plate and glue "yarn braids" to the sides of the plate.
3. Clip the barrettes to the braids and hang on her bedroom wall.
A belt that no longer fits your daughter is easy to hang from the buckle, and when the barrettes are clipped onto it. It can be hung in her closet for storage!
Combine family time with chore or hobby time. Studies have shown that kids actually enjoy the time spent working with parents, even if they complain about it before and during. Additionally, it shows them their contributions are valuable-very good for self-esteem! Working together is quality time!
Reprinted with permission from Maria Gracia's FREE Get Organized Now! Newsletter. Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and Newsletter, filled with tips and ideas to help you get better organized, at the Get Organized Now! Web site. http://www.getorganizednow.com
Control the chaos. Schedule a consistent, '10 minute Pick-up' each night. Set a timer to sound an alarm in 10 minutes.
While the clock is ticking, all family members are responsible for clearing out and putting away their belongings from the main family area.
When the timer sounds, you're all done. Give yourselves a warm round of applause for all you've accomplished.
If you have younger children, play "Inspection Express" every evening before bedtime. Make a "hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you train." Choo-choo through the rooms, looking for things that need to be put away. Or set the timer and see who can clean up the fastest-and neatest. One family calls the old socks they dust with "Dust Puppets". Play music, singsongs.
Reprinted with permission from Maria Gracia's FREE Get Organized Now! Newsletter. Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and Newsletter, filled with tips and ideas to help you get better organized, at the Get Organized Now! Web site. http://www.getorganizednow.com
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