I thought I would get back into the swing of things by writing about some things I have learnt from working as a teacher. I work with students from the age of four to adult, and whilst the adults tend to behave themselves that’s not always the case for children. I’ve learnt that children respond best to results and rewards. So here is a little something that may be able to keep your house and kids in order.
It’s fairly well known that getting kids to do chores or even follow a simple routine can be a struggle. After all kids are just like us, they don’t want to wash the dishes, clean their rooms or brush their teeth; there are far more interesting things that can be done with that time. However kids thrive on routine, it provides them with a sense or structure, security and helps them to develop self discipline. To make the process more interesting you might like to create a rewards chart. On this chart write their weekly routine including activities such as: 7am Get dressed, 8am School, 4pm Homework, 7pm Wash dishes. The most important thing to remember when creating a rewards chart is COLOUR! (Think of your favourite childhood book, I bet it was brimming with colour) I like to keep things colour coded, ensure an activity is the same colour every day, and for our younger kids put a picture of the activity next to the word so they can understand their schedule. As for the rewards aspect of the chart allocate a section within reach of your child to put stickers on. You can pick up a cheep pad of stickers from your local $1 store. Let your child pick their own sticker and place it on the chart, this will give them a wonderful sense of accomplishment and pride.
