"Mama! What Are We Doing Tomorrow?"

One of the most asked questions in my home, even from the little two year old, is "What are we doing tomorrow?" Being a homeschooling family staying at home, a lot, as a family (except their dad who is at work) is something that we just do.  However, my kids do not like to stay at home. They want to go and see and do and explore and play with friends and just.not.be.at.home.  So I have quickly learned to gather my resources and find all.the.things.

Some of the things that I have found in my area are:
Horseback Riding Lessons
Swimming Lessons
Art Class
Martial Arts
Writing Workshops
Nature Centers
Conservation & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers
Zoo Classes for Homeschoolers
Homeschool Groups
Friend Groups
Local Parks
Local Trails
Library (our local Children's Librarian is an Angel for this homeschool mom)
Tennis Lessons
Local Church Children's Activities
Roller Skating
Ice Skating
Museums
Aquariums
Indoor Pools
Indoor Play Places....

And really the list could go on and on. Some of these activities are only for the school age kids, others we can all go and enjoy a day/activity out of the house.

We are a part of a local group of homeschoolers who meet a couple times a month for activities such as gym days, field trips, "class parties" (Christmas, Valentines, etc), Spelling Bees, Science and History Fairs and a Mom's Encouragement Night (which is very important!). Calling the local library,   searching through Facebook for homeschool groups and talking to other homeschool moms is where I have found all.the.things. We start our school year next Monday and we already have weekly horseback riding lessons, a monthly writing workshop, weekly art classes, bi-weekly Martial Arts lessons and three field trips on the calendar.

I have found for me, and my family, that the balance of getting out and doing, exploring, having extra classes or just playing in the local creek; coupled with the book-work of sitting at the table is one of the joys of homeschooling. Taking the time to listen to these explorers of mine and answer the call of their restless hearts to get out and see and play has so much value; this is how they learn, about themselves and about the world around them.

Albert Einstein said " Play is the highest form of research."
Play on my explorers...play on...and I'll do my part to find all.the.things.

Simple Chore Checks for Kids

We start up school in just 10 days. With that comes a need for better organization and more family teamwork when it comes to getting all.the.stuff done around the house. I wanted to use a method that would allow the kids to be responsible for their chores without using up another wall space in my great room (my living room, dining room, kitchen and entry way are all one big room) and without me nagging them all.the.time.

My kids are ages seven, four and two and there are chores and personal hygiene responsibilities that they can take care of own their own (the two year old with assistance).  Ren, the 7 year old, has brushing his teeth twice a day, making his bed, putting his dirty laundry in the basket and clean laundry away, a 10 minute toy pick-up, feeding our chickens and gathering eggs. He also has 3 Mom's Choice chores that will include: wiping down the bathroom, vacuuming the carpets and helping with the dishes.

Sam is four,  his responsibilities are: brushing his teeth twice a day, making his bed,  a 10 minute toy pick-up, putting his dirty laundry in the basket and clean laundry away  and feeding Austin. He also has two Mom's Choice chores that will include: gathering the bathroom trash, setting and clearing the table, dusting and window washing.

Alexandria is two and while there are no chores she is able to do independently just yet; I did not want her to feel left out.  She has brushing her teeth twice a day, picking up toys and one Mom's choice which will include dusting and putting away the clean kids dishes. 

I bought a fabulous multi-color pack of felt squares from Target and thought that making a simple two pocket magnet pouch that we could hang on the fridge would keep these Chore Checks at their reach without taking up a lot of space. Each of the kids picked out their own color combinations and I just happened to have corresponding thread, craft sticks and lots of sharpies to complete this project.
I folded one of the felt squares down and sewed it to the other felt square.  I attached magnetic tape to  the four back corners of the square and added the craft sticks with their chore/responsibility. One pocket holds the Chore Checks that need to be accomplished and when they are done they can move them to the other pocket. Having two pockets enables me to just glance at the fridge to see if they have completed their Checks for the day before screen time or other extra activities.

Do you have chores for your kids to do daily? I would love to hear how you keep them responsible for their day!