Reassessing a calendar- How it's helping me...

See this "blank" page from my 3-Ring-Binder calendar? This is the scheduling sheet I came up with to help myself feel organized yet not so pressured to accomplish items during certain periods of the day.

What I was doing before was putting my "garden water, study, exercise, and craft" items in the morning time, and then putting my "husband's business, homework, kids' time, and garden weeding" stuff in the afternoon when I got home. Well, if the evening stuff ended up taking longer- what with cooking dinner, the kids' behavior, personal errands I had to run, special husband time, etc- then I'd be up so much later at night and not have the energy to get up and spend 3 hours doing other stuff before going to work in the morning. Then I'd feel depressed and sad because I didn't have the motivation to get the stuff done that I really wanted to and I felt like I couldn't put priority on those things either.

AND I was writing everything in pen. So if I didnt complete something I had to squiggle it out and find another day to write it on. Those squiggles were depressing too!

I also filled in EVERY thing with something to do... I had to stop that because there's only so much I can do in a day!

So- I fixed the calendar page to include things I wanted to accomplish at home in one area- except the little bit of chore catch up or tiny personal things that I need to do too... (example, finishing up the laundry, paying a bill, etc). I also write things in pencil- so if I end up not having the time to complete something then I can erase it and pencil it in somewhere else. I also only fill in the very important items I need to do a week ahead of time- then I go on a day by day basis on filling in other things I'd like to accomplish.

You notice that "Craft" is the last thing on the calendar. This does not mean it has lowest priority in my "wants" to accomplish. I can already see the effects of this "new" calendar of mine working when it comes to getting what I WANT done too. I actually accomplished some art listing, blogging, and pinterest viewing in the past couple of days since I've done this calendar- and I feel so much more relaxed about it too!

Yes- think I'm crazy or totally OCD. But my point is: All I had to do was reassess my calendar and move it around a bit so I didn't feel so stressed out. Then I feel like I accomplish so much more- and so much more of what I ENJOY doing instead of just the droning day to day things I have to do.

Have you done this? What strategies help you sort your week out? I'd love to hear your stories!

Not Bored with this Board!- Summer Chore, Learning, and Allowance Board

Summer sure is flying by. Only a few short weeks before it's time for getting up earlier, hours of homework, and cramming any fun or relaxation for the kids onto the weekends. Of course- the summer months at our household haven't exactly been just laziness in the sunshine. No- I made sure my kiddos had some daily to do things to keep them busy, to exercise their brains, and to allow them opportunity to enhance their summertime experiences with some of their own spending money. Hence- our Summer Stars Whiteboard above.

I have found that having a system that combines rewards with consequences works very well with my children. So- for the positive part- my children can earn stars for completion of work through the week. The more stars they earn the better the reward. 6 stars = Special Treat (ice cream, cupcakes, their own candy snack mix, etc) with a late night movie on Friday or Saturday. 7 stars = Same thing AND the privilage of being able to play computer and video games over the weekend. 9 stars = Treat, Movie, Games, AND camping out in the living room one weekend night or camping outside in a tent. They only earned ALL stars once this summer and we actually went on a camping trip.

The consequences for bad attitudes, lying, tattling, arguing, slacking on chores, etc are 3 strikes. Because children aren't perfect (they are only human) I have to remember to give a few "chances" before taking away any privelages. There are some days when more than just "3 strikes" occur and other disciplinary action is needed (naps, corner time, etc) but this system seems to work pretty well. Here's how it works- each time my children act out of line to what they are expected to act like or when they do something wrong and they know better- they are given a strike for their negative behavior. If they get 3 strikes in a day- then they need to go to bed at 8:30pm (which is about 45 minutes early on a weekday and can be up to 2 hours early on a weekend). They also lose one of their "tallys" which I will explain next...

 My children earn tallies when they complete their daily chores, weekend chores, and learning activities I have come up with to keep their brains fresh "in the know" on reading, writing, and math. Tallies then add up to stars. Weekday chores include: dishes, feeding the chickens, feeding the dogs and cats, taking out the compost, taking out the garbage, wiping down bathroom counters, and setting the table for dinner. There are 6 days of opportunity- Sunday through Friday. Each day of completed chores equals a tally. 6 tallies equals a star.  Then there are weekend chores- bedroom, laundry, and superclean bathroom tub and floor. Each completed weekend chore is just one tally and a star automatically when completed. Then there are reading, journaling, and math activities that I've prepared for the kids to do each evening. When completed they get tallies. As you can see- they did need to read 7 times during the week, do 6 journal activities, and complete 4 math activities. I've eased up on them for August and brought the journaling down to 5 and reading down to 6 times- it can just be too difficult to accomplish so much. :) Anyway- each time equals a tally and when all tallies are earned it equals a star. Again- the more stars earned the more fun can be had!

 

Now, I am a parent who doesn't believe in allowance for chores that should be done as a "help" to the family anyway.  But I still believe in giving my children extra opportunity to earn some allowance for their own personal spending and to learn the value of money and saving too. So I came up with a few "extra chores" that can be done by choice to earn money for summer spending. Things such as weeding the garden, helping clean the kitchen stove, counters, fridge, putting away groceries, wiping down doors and cupboards, etc. When my children complete, and I review, one of these "Extra $ Chores" they move the magnet to their "bank" area so at the end of a week I can total it up and give them half for spending and half for their bank accounts. My kids have worked extra hard this last week to earn money for a skating field trip they are taking with the Boys and Girls Club tomorrow. My son likes to buy himself water bottles and treats in the vending machines. And my daughter is striving to save so she can buy fake nails and glue to use. I'll humor her on that one until school starts. :)


So- that's my board for keeping my kiddos from being bored. Did you implement any reward systems over the summer? Do you have your children earn allowance? I'd love to hear your input! Please share your delightful perception!

Cats and Dogs are Like Kids...

I am not much of an "animal lover"  per the definition of some people. But it seems to me that our pooches and felines in the household develop a personality that is just too much to ignore or brush off as not lovable. They are in as much need of adoration, attention, and discipline as our children are! Whenever my husband and I get the rare opportunity to have the house "to ourselves" and have a family member watch our children- we joke that we wish we had a babysitter for the dogs and cats too.

That being said- the cats and dogs under our roof are just other members of our family. Hence- they are just as much of an inspiration to our lives and creative beings as any other living and breathing human we care about. I do enjoy trying to capture the essence of what our puppies and kitties do with some of my crafty work. The image above is of a fun project I took on to test my drawing skills. I'm definitely an amateur- but I was happy with the results.

I also enjoy creating items that the dogs and cats will benefit from themselves- toys, beds, etc. I have listed a couple of items in my shop for others to consider purchasing (dog toy and cat toy). I have also done some searching around for other fun feling and pooch items and created a great collection of family oriented cat/dog items that would make great gifts.

Do you create cat/dog inspired items? What would you find to be a better gift for a pet lover- something for the pet or something for the lover that reminds them of the pet? What do you think of my drawing/painting? I'd love your input, feedback, and comments. Share your perceptions!

Visit my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerceptiveDesigns

Visit the cat/dog gift treasury here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc5MzIxMnwyNzIzMTM1MTUy/dogs-and-cats-are-like-kids?index=0