The discussion between women of teens inevitably leads to the following: 1. Housework (or lack thereof by those lumps of flesh we call teenagers who share our space). 2. Homework: How much 'micro-managing' should we do when it comes to checking grades, meeting with teachers, and holding them accountable for assignments? 3. What consequences do you implement when #1 and #2 don't happen the way you planned?
My friend is a chart woman and since she spends a LOT of time with her kids. Keeping them accountable and busy is a full-time job, and she always comes up with creative ways of getting the job done.
Besides organizing their school work, co-op time, Boy Scouts, housework, special outings, meal planning, homework, etc, she manages to have the energy to sit down and follow through on a daily chore chart that covers the boys' responsibilities throughout the day. It's been reviewed with them thoroughly. They know what is expected and the consequences if not completed.
My favorite is for the boy who has laundry duty; He is responsible for washing, drying, and folding all the previous days' laundry. If he forgets, then he does it the next day until he remembers to complete the task for the day. His brothers love it. They get out of laundry duty for weeks.
I wonder how I could use this same strategy for my kids. One of the tasks involves feeding the cat and cleaning out the cat box. I've posted a sign on the bathroom mirror with this reminder. I suggested putting a reminder in the cell phone to buzz when it's time for feeding. Still, it's rare that the cat is fed without my constant 'Has the cat been fed?' reminder. I can't let him die as a consequence. I'm thinking of something delicious like vacuuming out my car for each time I have to give the reminder. Dang, I'll have a sparkling clean car for sure.
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