An Iowa Mom

WFMW: CHORES - The Value Of A Ticket

My kids have always been made to do their chores.  I don't run them ragged, or ask too much of them ... at least I don't think so.  Actually, we go pretty easy on them ... I'm sure.  I mean, I still do MOST of the work around here ... so they aren't overworked or anything.  No child labor laws being broken ... that's for damn sure.

However, lately I've noticed the desire to 'pull their weight' ... has been diminishing slowly ... and I do believe it has something to do with the dropping temperatures and white stuff covering the ground.  Either that or the little white box sitting next to the television called a Wii.

It got to the point that the everyday mundane chores was a CHORE for me to get them to do.  So I quickly came up with a solution ...

 I no longer "assign" chores.  Nope.  Not gonna tell Jake he HAS to empty the dishwasher, make his bed and scrub the toilet.  Not gonna beg Drew to clean his room, bring in the trash barrels and put away his laundry.

Not happenin'.

I now ... make a list ... of the 'chores' that need to be done for the day.  Whoever is up for the challenge and completes a chore ... earns a "ticket".

Tickets can be collected in their own color coordinated pot.

Each ticket is good for 15 minutes of "screen time".  Screen time equals watching TV, playing video games (console and hand held) and opening the laptop.

Other ways to earn tickets are 30 minutes of reading ... equals 1 ticket (15 min. of screen time).  A helpful hand or kind gesture noticed by me, THE MOM, earns a ticket ... so on and so forth.

HOWEVER - there are ways to LOSE tickets ...

For example:

Words we don't use in THIS house - stupid, hate, idiot, sucks, etc ... If I hear it, a ticket comes out of your bowl.  No exceptions.

Pushing, hitting, tripping, yadda yadda .. a ticket comes out of their pot.  Sorry, rules are rules.

I think you get the point.  It's been working very well.

So well that I can't even describe it.  The kids wake up and want to do NOTHING but ... their chores. 

To earn tickets.

And I'm finding they are spending so much time doing things for 'the house and family' ... they haven't been asking to spend their tickets ...

But I'm sure they will ... at some point.

I think that's a given.

It works for us ... hope it works for you too!  For more tips ... head on over to Rock In My Dryer.

 

WFMW: Screamer!! No Screaming!

This week is "backwards week" as far as Works For Me Wednesday is concerned.  Instead of giving you a fabulous tip (yeah, like I've ever come up with anything that is worthy to be classified as "fabulous", but whatever), I am supposed to ask for your help or advice on a specific subject.

As luck would have it, I have a problem.  Yup, I sure do ... and it's called ... Molly!

I must admit, she's the cutest darned thing.  Her smile lights up a room.  For a two year old her manners are almost eerie.  The hugs and snuggles are the best around.  Her voice ... well, actually the volume of her voice ... is unbearable.  It is the loudest of anyone I know ... including Big Daddy ... and let me tell you, that is close to deafening. 

Recently, not only is Molly louder than any human being should be, she has changed her tone to ... umm ... how do I say this ... SCREAMING!  It's ear piercing!  She does it ALL THE TIME.  Anytime she speaks, she screams.  Loudly.

When she's happy.  When she's sad.  When she's sleepy.  When she's mad.

How on earth do I get her to stop?  I try talking to her calmly, trying to almost whisper when speaking to her hoping she'll get the point.

She hasn't yet.

I've begged.  I've pleaded.

I've bought stock in Tylenol.

Now, I'm turning to you ...

Help me, please.  Though it's ringing, I still have some hearing in my left ear ... but I don't know for how much longer.

Feeling full of advice ... visit Rocks In My Dryer for more Moms in need.

WFMW: Photo Books For Little Ones

When I discovered Shutterfly, I was like an addict.  I'm serious!  If they SA meetings I could of attended, my husband just might have had an intervention and sent me on my way.

While I still love Shutterfly and use it every time I can, (Hello?  Who wouldn't with all their special offers they send their customers?) I have come up with a way to create special photo books for the kids that they wouldn't rip up or destroy after 10 times of looking at them.

Let me tell you, not only are these great for bedtime and quiet time, they are AWESOME for the car.  All four of my kids will grab one of these when they get in the car and will flip through it the entire time we are driving.  I'M NOT KIDDING!

You should really make one ... and then email me and let me know how it turned out. 

1. I print photos that will co-inside with the theme I'm going for.  
2. Then using some scrapbook paper in the prints that, again, go with the theme I create the pages.  You can make the book any size you'd like.  Mine usually are about 5 x 8 inches. 
3. After creating the pages, I glue two pages together, creating a front and back. 
4. Repeat until all your pages have a mate (don't forget a cover and back).
5. I then put a protective covering over them.  While I used to laminate, that got expensive (yeah, I made way too many books), so I now use the clear contact/shelf paper found in your kitchen section of your favorite supermart.  It's cheap and I just lay a page down on the paper.  Then lay another piece of contact paper over the top and cut around it.
6. Punch holes in the sides and "bind" the book with notebook rings found in the office department at the supermart.
7. Be amazed that your children want to look at their book over and over and over again. 

Some theme ideas I've used are:

• Family members (I put in photos of all siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
• Vacations
• All About Me (and have the whole book be photos of that child)
• Holidays/Birthday
• ABC Book

These books work for us and I hope they work for you and yours too!  For more great tips, head over to Rocks In My Dryer!

WFMW: Free Day Off For SAHM's

I don't know about you all, but as a SAHM, I know that sometimes I just need a break.  I love my children and want to be with them ... which is why I choose to stay home with them.  However, I am indeed human and need a little time to myself every now and then.

A friend of mine, who lives in my neighborhood and also has a little boy the same exact age as Molly, felt the same way as I did.  That is when we decided that we would do a child swap every week. 

Every Monday I have her son over for 4 hours.  It's every single Monday.  Always the same time, for us it's 9:30am to 1:30pm.  We've found it to be the perfect time frame for us, because then when we return home, it's nap time, giving us another 2 hours.

Then, she takes my girls every single Friday.  Same time.  Always.  We don't have to call and confirm.  We just count on it.  It is absolutely wonderful to have a day to look forward to that's MINE every week.

No paying a babysitter.  Always able to schedule doctor, dentist, hair appointments, knowing the day and time I'll be able to go without my children tagging along.  Lunch dates with my husband, which is always enjoyable.  A movie and nap.  Whatever I want.  It's MY day.

Try it.

Find a SAHM friend with children around the same age as yours.  The kids absolutely LOVE it.  And I honestly think the Mom's LOVE IT EVEN MORE!

Works For Me (And My Friend) ... and I hope it works for you too!

For more great ideas head on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

WFMW: Family Night Saver

How many time have you planned a family night and once you've got everyone sitting down at the table, a board game set up, and a bowl of popcorn ready to be devoured ... the doorbell rings?

I know I'm not the only one this happens to.  The kids and I both LOVE when their friends pop over and ask them to play.  But, I'm not such a big fan when we have all been looking forward to "family night" and we suddenly have an extra guest or one of my own begs to be allowed to go outside to play.

Everyone loves family night, but the temptation of a friend standing at the door with a ball glove is sometimes too much to resist.

That's when we created our sign.  You can't tell by the picture but it's on bright orange paper and simply states we are having family night.  We tape this onto our front door at the beginning of family night and it lets everyone know we choose not to be disturbed.  (This sign was made on the spur of the moment, I do plan to make a fancier sign (I'm silly like that), but finding the time to get to my craft room is even more difficult.)

No hurt feelings of being told they can not be included.  No children begging to go outside because their friends want them to.  Just tons of board games, books, movies and family tournaments on the new video game system ... and fun!  We look forward to family night every week and now we do so without worrying.

It works for us ... if you're having the same problem, I hope it works for you too!

For More Great Tips, Visit Rocks In My Dryer!

WFMW: Brand Loyalty

Today is Brand Loyalty over at Rocks In My Dryer ... so my Works For Me Wednesday will be some of the brands I will always remain loyal to:

Bounty Paper Towels - I will not use any other brand in my home.  Period.

Cottonelle Toilet Paper - Again, nothing else will grace my toilet paper holders.

Direct TV - I have had many friends disappointed with Dish Network and local cable companies.  Direct TV has always been helpful, nice, and has never done us wrong.

Toshiba Laptops - I had a Dell.  I hated my Dell.  I have my Toshiba now (as does my hubby) and we will never own another brand of laptop.  By far the best, in my opinion.

Wonder Bread and Buns - I have bought other brands, including store brands and they just don't compare.

Tone Bath Soap - When I use anything else, I break out.  Tone is the only one that works for me.

Kraft Mac and Cheese - Don't even think about the generic when it comes to mac and cheese.

Tide Laundry Soap - Nothing washes or smells as nice.

Bath and Body Works Wallflower Air Fresheners - Their smell is real.  Doesn't smell like a chemical.  I will never use another Glade or Air Wick Plug In again.  I just hope B&BW carries these forever.

Miller High Life Lite - I know people who think a beer is just a beer.  I am very loyal to my brand and will not drink a beer unless it's this!  I know, I'm high class.  It's the CHAMPAGNE of beers, ya know?

I'm sure I have a hundred more, but this is all I can think of right now.  :)  If I think of others, I'll update my list.

Happy Wednesday!

To find out what other brands people are loyal to, visit Rocks In My Dryer!

WFMW: Potty Training Time

Do you know what time it is?  Yes, today is Day 1 of potty training our last child.  I have mixed feelings about this...

I am soooo not in the mood to train another child to use the potty.  Not up for following around a 2 year old in her daily endeavors, asking her if she needs to go "potty on the big girl potty".  Washing 10 pairs of panties today over and over again after each accident is not something I'm truly looking forward to.

But ...

Not having to stop 8 times a day to change a diaper sounds very appealing.  No longer having to purchase diapers, oh yeah, what will I do with the extra money.  (I know Green3, I could save it.)  Just the fact it will be the FIRST time in TEN years that we won't have a child in diapers is enough for me to do the happy dance and start throwing potty parties everytime Molly tinkles in the pot.

When it comes to potty training, I don't use pull ups.  I don't revert back to diapers.  When the decision has been made, by both me and in this case Molly, we go at it full force and we don't look back.  This is our process:

• The two of us together go to my favorite super store (Target). 
• I let Molly pick out her "big girl" underwear and she carries them to the register.
• The "big girl" underwear are the only thing we purchase and I make a really big deal about it.
• On the day we are to begin, we put the diapers away (to be used at night/nap).
• We stay in our "big girl" underwear from that day forward.
• When Molly goes on the potty, I jump up and down like a fool, clap my hands and hoot and hollar.
• If we go somewhere, I do not pack a pull up ... instead I pack extra clothes ... and don't forget socks.  Very important.

When I used the process above, my kids were trained within 2 to 3 days.  Drew only took 1 day and 1 accident in his big boy underwear to know that he didn't want that to happen again.

With Emily, I used Pull Ups because I trained her about a week after we moved into our new house and I was paranoid of her having an accident on the carpet.  (With Molly, I'm looking for accidents on the carpet as a great excuse to tear out the carpet and install hard wood throughout.)  Using the pull ups ... it took us about 2 weeks to fully train Emily, and it only worked when I broke down and used my process above.  I just don't think it's as uncomfortable as it needs to be in Pull Ups when they go in their undies.  I even tried the ones that are supposed to get really cold when the wet ... just didn't have the same effect as real panties.

So, if and when you are ready to potty train.  Go for the big girl (or boy) underwear and don't look back.  If you do use my process, I'd like to know how it works for you.  It works for me.  I hope it works for Molly!

For other great tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer!