Chores for a 4 year old... a system that works for us!

I came to the realization it was time to teach Olivia some responsibility. I decided to "pay" her for helping me out around the house. She will get a quarter for cleaning the living room, her room or for randomly helping me without being asked. When she cleans the living room, I give her a quarter. When she cleans her room, I give her a quarter. By doing this, she can earn at least a dollar a day. Her reward is immediate. She has a jar she puts all of her money in when she gets it. She loves taking her money out and seeing how many quarters she has!

Once a week, we go to the store and she gets to pick out what she wants to buy with her money.  She took a purse in the store and got to shop around. She decided to get a pack of watermelon gum. I was shopping this day also, I put all of my things on the conveyor belt. We got the little divider bar and put it between our purchases and she put her gum on the conveyor belt too. I had to help her count out her money but other than that, she did all of it herself. She talked to the cashier, waited on her change and got her receipt. She got some change back and I told her to keep it.  Next week she might be able to get a toy or more candy. When we were leaving she said "This is some pretty big kid stuff".

When we got in the car she was so excited!  She said "I can't wait to tell daddy about what I bought today with my money!".  Everyday since then she has wanted a piece of her gum. She is so proud. 

On another day, she still had some money and she wanted a sonic drink. She told me what she wanted and we rehearsed what to say a few times. I let her push the button and she ordered her drink. Again, the only thing I helped her with was counting out the money.

Giving her immediate reward (quarters) for helping me around the house and letting her choose what she wants to buy gives her complete ownership of her chores and rewards. I haven't had any trouble getting her to clean her room or pick up her toys in the living room. In the past, this was always a fight and I ended up doing it all. By having her pick up the living room and her room every night, things don't accumulate to the point she can't handle it. This system is working very well for us in my house and I recommend trying this with your preschool aged child.

Cowboy Potatoes

I like to make what I call "Cowboy Potatoes". They go well with just about anything and they are super easy to make. Here is my recipe:

- 3 potaotes washed, not peeled
-2 T butter
-3 T minced garlic

1. Grease pan/ crock pot

2.Wash & Dice potatoes

3. Add butter and garlic

4. Stir

5. In oven: cook at 350 for a hour, or until the potatoes are tender
    In crockpot: cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender

6, Optional: add some cheese to the top

 

Step 2

 

 

 

Step 3

 

 

Step 4

 

 

 

Step 5

 

 

 

Cowboy potatoes are super easy and the whole family will enjoy them.

 

 

Summer Fun

My daughter just got back from a week with her grandma. In my case, grandparents are always trying to have a jam packed fun week whenever they get the grand kids. They plan something special for everyday. I got to thinking, shouldn't I be trying to do the same?!?!?! I am lucky to have the whole summer off to spend with my daughter and we should spend it right!! So, here is my attempt to do something fun everyday this summer!

1. Homemade pizza night

 

 

2. Paint rocks for the flower garden*

 

 

 3. Plant a flower garden

Olivia came home from her Grandma's and had made 4 flower pots.

We got potting soil and flower seeds, filled her plants and had enough to plant the flower beds around the house!

 

 

4. Let her cook her favorite meal

Pigs in a blanket

 

 

5. Barbie is moving came through our area.

We had to go! It was so much fun!*

 

 

6. Go to the local water park

 

7. Play nail salon*

 

 

8. Go on a boat trip

 

 

9. Go to a cave

 

 

10. Have a pick nick at the lake

 

 

11. Go to art day at the local library*

 

 

12. Go to a petting zoo*

 

 

13. Go to a swimming party

 

 

14. Let her earn her own money and then spend it on what she wants

There will be a separate blog entry about this one...

 

 

15. Go see a dance team*

 

 

16. Play beauty shop*

(we fixed her hair a different way & she loved it!!)

 

 

17.  Have a tea party*

 

 

 

 

18. Go see a movie

 

 

19. Have a dress up day*

 

20.  Go on a road trip

 

 

21.  Sew a dress

 

 

22.  Have a talent show*

 

 

23.  Go to a rodeo

(after bedazzling your own shirt and hat)

 

 

24. Have milkshakes with friends

 

25. Go get a snow cone

 

 

26. Turn 5

 

 

27. Have a campfire, make smores and tell spooky stories*

 

 

28. Get a new haircut

 

 

29. Visit a fish hatchery*

 

 

30. Go to a "Big Time" water park

 

 

 

31. Meet your favorite princess!!

 

 

32. Invite a friend over to make and decorate cookies*

 

 

33. Go bowling

 

 

34. Go to an indoor play ground

 

 

35. Go to a theme park

 

 

36. Play board games*

 

 

37. Visit a aquarium

 

 

38. Start dance classes

 

 

39. Go to a circus

 

 

40. Visit a bounce house

 

 

*the things noted with an * means we did these things for free. I checked our local library and other community events that were free.

 

This was a super fun, super cheap summer! Most of the things listed above cost less than$20.00.

 

Writing Woes

As a teacher, I have found that teaching writing is challenging to me. I have really gotten on the kick of using story starters to get my class's imagination going. So, I thought I would share. Here are 40 story starters that I came up with:

40 Second Grade Story Starters

 

If I were the president I would…

I woke up one morning. I looked in the mirror and I had turned into a…….

As soon as I arrived, I could sense that something was out of place...

I decided to go for an evening stroll.  I walked about three blocks when I felt it...

Sometimes I think my friend has strange powers. Every time he's around...

Every year on the first of April I take out my shoe box.

I was playing my favorite video game, and suddenly I was inside it!

I was stuck in an elevator with…

In the backyard, my dog found a mysterious necklace…

My best friend was just elected President!

I just found out my teacher used to be a…

My family just won the lottery!!!!!

I found a hidden treasure map…

I just got back from the zoo. I opened my backpack to find a monkey.

At the beach, I found an unusual seashell

An alien came to earth, and…

I was walking on the beach, when suddenly a genie popped out of an old lamp…

It was going to be the best day ever!

A fairy appears and tells you that you can have 2 wishes….

On a dark and stormy night, I looked out my window and saw…

On my way home from school one day, I found…

When I woke up this morning there was a…

It was a warm and sunny day when all of the sudden…

Last night I had a dream that…

I couldn’t believe my wish had come true…

I found a pair of magic tennis shoes…

My teacher had a surprise for the class…

It was field day and I was so excited to…

It was finally summer break and I was going on vacation to…

My friend invited me to a sleepover…

One day, I caught a leperchaun…

I found a lucky 4 leaf clover and you will never believe what happened…

One day while watching the clouds, I saw a…

One day, I noticed there was a door in the hall that I had never seen before.  I decided to open it…

If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to…

One day, no teachers came to school…

Last night, it snowed 2 feet!

I found an old suitcase, inside it there were…

At my grandma’s, I found a strange looking mirror…

My teacher announced that today was a free day so I…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be Thankful for What You Have

As most of you know, there was a destructive EF5 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. I live in Northwest Arkansas so they are covering the story extensively, like most news stations. Every time I see someone from Moore being interviewed I'm amazed at their resilience and appreciation. This town has been through 2 other tornadoes. One of which had the highest wind speed recorded on record.

One man was interviewed, he had been filming the tornado and got into his storm shelter. When he came out of the storm shelter, his house was gone. He didn't get upset, he didn't break down and cry. The first things he said was that he was glad his family made it out safe. Two days after the tornadoes, there were storms and flooding rain that came through the town of Moore also. A lady was standing in her living room, parts of her roof had been ripped off and it was raining in her house. She said she was lucky, she knew other people who were worse off than she was. Now, think about half of the people you know...would they be standing in their living room while the rain was coming in through a hole and call themselves lucky?

We all need to learn a lesson from these people. They don't see the things they don't have. They see and appreciate everything they do have. In this day and age everything is "want, want, want". We need to step back and say "wow, look at all these things I have".  I am appreciative of everything I have. My car is 11 years old and it's broken down a few times, but, I'm glad I have it. My house may not be as big as I want, but, I'm glad I have it.

Tonight, my boyfriend, Joe was complaining about the grandparents always wanting to see our daughter...REALLY!?!?!?!? I am so thankful for people wanting to be in our daughter's life. I'm happy we have parents and grandparents who are still alive and want to see our daughter. Again, be thankful for what you have and don't take it for granted. You never know what will happen tomorrow.

Lunch Lady Land

As a part of teacher appreciation, we wrote letters to the cafeteria ladies telling them thank you. Ever since we did that I couldn't get this song out of my head. Enjoy:

We actually have a lunch lady that kinda looks like this at our school :D.



Random Acts of Kindness

By the time I was 8, my parents were divorced. During Christmas, weekends and other holidays, my time was spent between my parents. I remember one particular Christmas with my dad. I was so excited to go to my grandmother's house because that meant more presents. But, on the way, there was a car pulled over on the side of the road and there were a few elderly people standing outside the car. I remember my dad asking me "You think we should go back and help them?". Being 8 and ready to open Christmas presents, I absent mindedly said "nah".  Inspite of what I wanted to do, he said "come on, it's Christmas" and made a U-turn in the middle of the highway.  He got out and asked what was wrong and if he could help. It turned out he knew the people in the car and they wern't in an emergency, they had just pulled over. Although everything was okay, that day taught me a lesson. I learned that you should try to "do good" everywhere you go.

Everyday when I'm driving home from work, I always see this homeless guy on the corner of a busy intersection. I see a sleeping bag, a chair and a bunch of stuff that I see as trash. One day I got to thinking, "I wonder if he sleeps out there, on the ground?". Sure enough, the next morning when I drove by, he was on that same corner, asleep on the sidewalk. In an earlier post, I commented that it snowed during May. During this morning, I drove by the same intersection like always. This guy was asleep on the ground and there was a layer of snow covering him and his sleeping bag. I contiuned on my way to work, I had forgotten my breakfast and drove through McDonalds. I ordered what I usually order for breakfast. The thought of that guy sleeping on the ground in the snow just took a hold of my heart, I couldn't stop thinking about him. When I got to the window to pay, I asked "Can I add to my order?". I ordered him the same thing I always get, a sausage biscut and an order of hash browns. I drove back to where he was sleeping and left the McDonalds bag right there on the ground in the snow. I haven't told anyone until this post.

That Christmas day, when I was 8, taught me a life-long lesson. It doesn't take much to help someone. When I was 26, I learned a life-long lesson.  It might take $2.00 and 5 minutes, but it might help somone. I hope I can teach my daughter the same things my dad taught me about helping people. I want to lead by example.

It doesn't take much to help somone.