Teaching Responsibility Through Chore Charts

For many people, school has just started or is about to and this means your morning and evening routines may change.  If your child has just started kindergarten, teaching responsibility through a routine or chore chart can help them understand what is expected to get ready for each day.  For older children, a chart can also help them get into their new routine and help ease your morning and evening work loads.

A simple chart, like the one below from PositiveParents.org is a great way to give very young children basic instructions that should be completed in order each and every night to get ready for bedtime. By sticking to the chart, children know what is expected of them and can lead to a smoother schedule.

Older children can have a routine chart as well that include more complex skills such as making their bed or packing their school supplies away for the next day.  Chore charts can be implemented based on your families needs, if there are standard chores to be done on a regular schedule, such as picking up toys or setting the table, but there are other interesting ways to engage the kids, such as a chore jar.  The chore jar gives children the ability to choose what chore they want to do, or gives them a "random" chore based on what stick they pick out of the jar.  I Wash You Dry has an outstanding example of a fun chore jar that can be completed each week or month depending on what you choose to include.

You can choose to pay an allowance or offer an award if your child can complete their assigned tasks to your satisfaction.  Some studies warn that certain tasks and routines should not be awarded so the child learns it is part of an expectation that they do without receiving anything for the effort, particularly when it comes to hygienic responsibilities.

Do you use a chore or routine chart in your house?  At what age was your child when you started?

For more charts, tips, and ideas, check out our Pinterest boards!

Kid Safety-Learning About Strangers

Strangers.  A topic most adults don't much think about until they have children.  As adults, we avoid anyone who we feel threatened by or gives us the instinctual feeling that we should stay away.  However it's important to go back to square one when talking with a child about strangers.

What should you tell your children?  Which strangers are safe to interact with and which ones aren't?  You want them to know the difference on being polite to adults, but also knowing what they should and shouldn't say or what they should or shouldn't do when someone they don't know approaches them.  Keep in mind a traditional stranger is anyone your child or family doesn't know.  The stranger philosophy has changed over the years and new ideas on talking to your child about this are explored more in the post "Tricky People Are the New Strangers," by the Checklist Mommy.  

A doctor or police officer is a stranger, but we classify them as "safe strangers."  You can teach your child that these types of strangers are ok to talk to or approach.  It's also very important to teach your child that not all dangerous strangers look scary.  Cartoons and books tend to make the bad guy look like an evil, scary villain, but this is not always the case.  If your child is ever in a predicament where they feel threatened  or become separated from you or a guardian, it's important they know what to do, and which strangers they can turn to for help.  The National Crime Prevention Council advises parents to point out easy to recognize strangers when out with your child, such as teachers or police officers.  But what happens when these options aren't around?  Some parents tell their children to find another mommy with kids if they get lost in a place like a mall or grocery store.

It's smart to come up with a plan of action or family code in case a child gets separated from their family or guardian or feels threatened.  A meeting area should always be established when you go to any public space such as a shopping mall or grocery store.  Tell your child to meet you there if they get lost and to wait until you find them.

What plans of action or advice do you have for parents talking to their child(ren) about stranger safety?