“When we’re helping, we’re happy
and we sing as we go,
For we like to help mother,
for we all love her so.”
-A Primary Song-
journal entry:
Chores, chores chores. They never go away and children never quit taking an hour to pick up one piece of paper. I wish I had a dime for every chore chart I made for my children when they were small. Each one, I hoped, would solve the problem once and for all. Oh, well. I made this version of a chore chart for little grandchildren. I took pictures of all of the objects that represented their chores . . . like a toothbrush, an unmade bed, the inside of a dishwasher, an empty dog food bowl. I bought clear picture frame magnets and slid the pictures inside. A little bit larger frame housed the face of the child with his name. Everything fit just perfectly in a plastic bin. The desperate mommy lines the faces of the little workers on the fridge. Underneath she puts the pictures of the chores for the morning. I made two of many things since everyone brushes teeth and makes beds. No matter that a child can’t read. One quick look at the fridge and ALL children know what they are expected to do. When the chore is finished, they can race to the fridge, put the magnet back into the plastic box and say “I won”! When evening comes, Mommy can start all over again with pictures of setting the table, doing homework and saying prayers. Beware: it is possible for some little people to shift the magnets around when no one is looking. And, if a little person wonders why there isn’t a picture of mommy and her chores . . . well, that one may take some explaining.
“Anyone who does anything to help a child in life
is a hero to me.”
-Mr. Rogers-