ASHLEY’S CORNER A SURPRISING WIN: OUR KIDS ACTUALLY LIKE OUR FAMILY CHORE CALENDAR
We have reached a new family milestone. Five of the six kids are going to school or preschool this fall. I am packing all these backpacks every day. Everybody is getting on the bus together. Each of the kids has different homework assignments. They are all involved in different activities and sports, and each one has assigned chores at home. How can a parent keep five kids and a toddler on the same page?
When they have checked off all their chores for the day, a shower of animated confetti or emojis explodes on the screen with the message, “You have completed all your tasks!” They get so excited. They can turn their stars in for rewards.
We’ve gone digital.
Toph and I are figuring out the rewards part. We are definitely not paying the kids for doing chores; that is their responsibility, as members of the household. But we do want them to have some reward for their stars. It might be an activity or an experience, like using 200 stars to go out for ice cream on a Wednesday night. There’s a payoff for me, too: I have to do fewer chores because the kids are emptying the dishwasher and wiping the counters and feeding the dog! It is fun for me, and it’s teaching them a little responsibility.
Our latest innovation is a framed, color-coded Skylight calendar on a stand on the kitchen counter, with all the kids’ chores and homework on it. When the calendar isn’t active, it doubles as a picture frame for our family photos. I can add items to the calendar anytime, using an app on my phone. I might assign one child to take out the trash on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and others to empty the dishwasher, feed the dog, or wipe the counter. I also enter each child’s homework. Mac might be assigned to read for 30 minutes, or Roz might need to practice piano. Each of the kids has their own color-coded checklist of tasks, and each time they complete a task, they click on their name and check it off. They can accumulate stars as rewards, based on a point value I assign for each task.
Next up: I am getting back to my own task list of organizing the house. That is a job that is never done!
The biggest surprise is how much the kids love it. They are super into the checklist, looking at the calendar to see, “What do I have to check off?”
Take a Break
APPLE-CRANBERRY SALAD
Ingredients
Inspired by WanderlustAndWellness.org
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6 slices of bacon
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3/4 cup dried cranberries
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1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
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1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled and thinly sliced
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1/3 cup olive oil
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1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
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2 tbsp raw honey
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1/2 cup feta cheese
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8 oz fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove it from the pan and set on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, and honey. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, add spinach, cranberries, apple slices, red onion, and feta. Crumble bacon pieces over the top. Use salad forks to toss ingredients thoroughly. 4. Add dressing to the salad and toss again until well-coated.
Solution on Page 4
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