Routines….

So recently in our house there have been some miscommunications. For example in the morning if I say “go brush your teeth, wash your face, do your chores and get ready for the day,” that has somehow been translated or understood as “lay around in your pjs at the top of the stairs and read books”, or “chase your sister around with her slipper”, or putting clothes on might happen but clearly the putting pjs into the laundry or brushing teeth part is totally missed. And obviously if I say do your chores then it means ALL your chores not just a few of them. (Every day each kid has a set of 7-8 chores that rotate each week, everything from kitty litter, to wiping down one of the toilets daily, to vacuuming the stairs, to emptying the dishwasher etc etc). And bedtime is the same story. Somehow “take your shower and put your pjs on and get ready for bed” gets interpreted as “chase your brother around with a stick with no clothes on”. So we have been starting our days and finishing our days with lots of frustration on mommy and daddy’s part. And many missed bedtime stories. I’m all for the kids having a good time and enjoying each other, but there are times and places when things need to get done so that life flows better and morning and bedtime are two of those times. So we have a new plan…..I made diagrams of the 6 things that need to get done each morning and the 6 things that need to get done at bedtime and hung those up. They can start anywhere on the circle that they want, they just have to complete the circle and make sure each piece of the pie is done. This is key because often everyone tries to take a shower at once and that leaves 3 or 4 waiting and waiting children result in all sorts of mischief. So now they have other steps in the circle they can do while they wait. Hopefully this results in less frustration and more bedtime stories and smoother mornings and evenings.