Things [ Hand Made ]

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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Friday 26 August 2011

The summer holidays

OK so you don't normally come here to see picture of my washing up!
I am sure you look down at your own often enough.
I know I do 
No, we don't have a dish washer
As with many of you we are wandering through the summer holidays and whether you are enjoying having the kids around or counting the days left to school I am sure the thoughts of chores or jobs for kids to do has crossed your mind.
I know you don't come here for child care advice. I do not feel in any way qualified to give child rearing advice.
I do not live in a huge house,
 I do not have a large family.
The chores aren't endless but I would prefer not to be doing any.
Wouldn't we all.
The question is..... how to share them out.
I don't wish my kids holidays to be entirely taken up with chores but then not do I wish mine to be. I want them to see that we work as a team.
It was with a heavy influence from Brownie Camp that I devised this scheme and we have been running it for a year now during school holidays and it seems to work quite well.
Its goes like this.
I have 3 kids so there are 3 roles each day.
Housekeeper, waiter, chef.
A chart is drawn up with each child allocated a new  roles each day on a 3 day rotation.
The Housekeeper has to help me with collecting up laundry, loading the machine, hanging washing out, folding laundry and if needed then to vacuum the floors downstairs.
The Waiter has to help lay the table, carry food to the table, clear plates away, sort out drinks and help with washing/drying of dishes.
The Chef has to help plan/cook food.

If I gave them the choice they would all be "chefs"

Each role is helping me. The task are not done on their own and depending on the age of the child there is a little more to do or a little less. I know that when I know when I need help there will be someone to come and help me. I also hope that they are leaning a little about cooking and housework at the same time.
so that's how it works for us.
Please don't think that I have 3 spritely little pixies who dash in to help at every opportunity. I imaging there is as much moaning as anyone else gets but I can point the chart and they know that tomorrow they will be something else and someone else will have to help with the drying up!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh my if only I could have come up with this idea years ago! 1 child when not surfing waves, welded to a book or electronic surfing device. The thought of actually placing a mug in a dishwasher just too much to contemplate - let alone emptying said device.

Scented Sweetpeas said...

Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing it. x

tea and cake said...

What a brilliant idea! We've always made a game of 'tidy up time!' but this is even better, well done!

bears footprints said...

i have to say i have thought the same, i to do not own a dishwasher because the dishwasher is me. The kids holidays has been great but as you may also be aware by the end of it all they end up doing is saying im bored... well prehaps i should do more of your examples then prehaps that would stop all the moaning x well done x

Jill said...

A brilliant idea.