Well today is Tuesday so that means it’s “Training Tuesday” at our house. Recently I added a job wheel (I read about it in the Complete Tightwad Gazette book I’ve been reading) to divvy up the dinner meal preparation tasks. As I’ve mentioned before, I have done a good job training my two oldest children but have slacked off with the younger two. This job wheel is an attempt to create a better division of labor.
Last week Lily learned how to set a proper table. Today she learned to make salad. She had used the salad spinner before but this is the first time that she cut the carrot herself (with supervision, of course!!!).
Peter even got in on the training today when he spilled his water on the floor. I directed him to the rags and he cleaned it up himself.
Good for you all!! We could use more “training” around here. I don’t think I have enough patience though.
Beautiful! I love the training wheel. My montessori pre-K had adorable “job cards” that were made out of the cards from the backs of library books, and I treasure this memory so much that my perfectionist self, lacking time and space to reproduce, has just longed for it and done nothing. I think that the wheel is perfect, easy and do-able and still fun and cute for the kids, I am going to give it a try! I can’t have the kids help with dinner every night, they watch Cyberchase so that I don’t go batty, but Tuesdays would be a good night for us to add the wheel to our routine. Thanks for sharing, and good job Lily!
Joann:
Just start small and aim for one new thing a week for some of your children (you don’t need to tackle all ten at once!!!)
It really is a time saver when they become proficient and can take over the job completely.
I haven’t done the laundry in nearly 7 years. The training time I put in has definitely paid dividends!!!
Thanks for visiting Doodle Acres.
Blessings,
Heather
Mary Alice:
I understand those perfectionist tendencies!!!
Once a week sounds like a good place to start.
And I just started Ti-Vo-ing Cyberchase for the children and they have been enjoying it too!!!
Thanks for commenting…
Great job, Lily! Annie wants to make a salad, too! We could use some more equitable division of labor around here, too, so Mom doesn’t end up doing everything!
Julie:
Put those strong children to work!!!!!!!!! You’ll be doing their future spouses a favor if they learn to work now.