Please welcome Crystal to 3 Boys and a Dog!  Do you have problems keeping your kids “good” and your house clean?  Crystal has a unique approach that she shares with us!  ~Kelli

I have a card system that I use when my oldest boys get in trouble… our 5th grader has a tendency to be mouthy and our 2nd grader has ADD and is dyslexic and is often off track and struggles with focus.

The ‘mouthy one’, and I say that with great love, gets in trouble for the most obvious reasons. Our 2nd grader regularly forgets homework, has days where he does not follow directions or instructions, and often forgets that rules exist. So we have found a discipline approach that really works well for both of them. And I can not take credit for it, as my 2nd grader’s teacher told me about it.

*Let me interject and say, we do have steps in place at school to decrease forgetting homework and forgetting school rules as much as possible. He has helpers in the classroom to help him remember and the teacher is very understanding and empathetic, but firm. We stay in close contact with his teacher and have an open line of communication.

I have a set of approximately 15 index cards and each one has a chore written on it. The chores are the things I have never get to or the things that catch up to me with so many children, the things that can never be done too many times with this many people living in one house and the things that take up too much of my time.

The chore written on each card will keep one little boy busy for about 30 minutes- especially for our 2nd grader. And these chores encourage focus, while allowing him to work with his hands, and gives time to reflect.

AND, it helps me!

This is not to say they do not have traditional chores that are expected of them on a regular basis like: cleaning their room, picking up after themselves, helping pickup the living room, etc.

First….

This is what you will want to do:

Grab about 15 index cards and a sharpie. Below is what is written on each of my cards, improvise as needed.

1) Clean the baseboards in the bathroom . Wipe down the side of the tub (outside part) and wipe down the shower glass doors with Windex.

2) Clean the bathroom mirrors with Windex and wipe down the bathroom sink and counter top with Comet Cleaner.

3) Pair up socks for 30 minutes (Oh, the socks we have with 5 children and I loathe pairing them !!)

4) Clean the inside of the toilet with wand and cleaner and then wipe down the outside of the toilet from top to bottom with disinfectant cleaner.

5) Clean out from under your bed and inside your closet and put anything you find where it goes.

6) Wipe down the outside of all the kitchen cabinets and drawers with cleaner.

7) Wipe down window seals in the dining room, living room, kitchen and your bedroom with cleaner.

Using Windex, wipe down the light switch plates in ___________. (I list out each room on the card: kitchen, dining, living, etc, so there is no guess work for them.)

9) Clean the baseboards in the kitchen and hallways with cleaner.

10) Vacuum living room and sweep kitchen, dining area and front entry way.

11) Wipe down the outside of the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and oven with Windex.

Now, two of my cards are grace cards. The word grace is written on these cards and the definition as stated in the dictionary:

grace: goodwill; favor
a delay granted for an obligation
the love and favor of God toward man

Then…

When they get in trouble at home or school, the cards are presented to them face down and they draw one card, or two, depending on the offense.

They read their card out loud and if it is the grace card I like for them to acknowledge if they understand what grace is.

Finally….

While raising boys it is very important to me they know how to do these things and never consider cleaning as ‘a woman’s work’. They will live on their own some day, and they will not find me at their apartment cleaning! Someday, they will likely marry, and it is very important they help their wives. They may also have children, and with this in mind, I want my boys to grow up to be leading examples who assist in instilling and teaching their own children household cleaning.

There you have it. Give it a try. I would love to know if it works for you!

Crystal is a blogging mom to five crazy boys, ranging in age from 10 yrs to 10 months, and is the author of the blog Crystal Co. She writes about raising a large blended family, with twins in the mix no less, as well as dyslexia, crockpot cooking and baby stuff. She embraces the struggles, the craziness, the fun and the un-perfect. Crystal always shares the meltdowns and tantrums while searching for herself and simplicity and gracefully pulling her hair out one strand at a time. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Click here to be a part of it all!