Chore Charts

As I mentioned earlier, we started a new "chore chart" system last Friday. Despite being smack dab in the middle of A's "being 5 1/2", it's going pretty well. I still sometimes have to remind them to actually move through the items in their badge holder (they finish one thing & then run off to play) and we still have meltdowns (mainly from A) over the couple chores she doesn't like to do, but on the other hand, on Monday she asked me "can we add laundry to my chores?" so it all evens out LOL. I'm still trying to decide if her willingness to help with laundry should get her out of unloading the dishwasher (the chore most likely to cause meltdowns) but dishwasher is an alternating chore (A does it one day, L does it the next) and I know A would object if I were to drop dishwasher altogether & make laundry alternating, but requiring L to do the dishwasher & not A doesn't seem fair somehow either . . . so I don't know. I'm giving it abit longer to see if A gets over the dislike of it (there was a time when she liked doing it & L objected, sigh . . .). And of course, they already know that we'll be doing some changing around of chores once the baby gets here, so if I decide that dishwasher is more hassle than it's worth I can always drop it from the mix when we do that switch around.

A was quite proud of herself to prove this week that, w/ the help of a stool, she can reach to get the clothes OUT of the washer. So now pouring liquids (which, if I get my butt in gear & make up some more powder detergent, would only be vinegar & that doesn't HAVE to go in any load except the wipes/towels, though I generally use it in all loads) & carrying the laundry basket back upstairs (not sure of a way around that one, though the girls working together can carry it around outside, I think . . . ) is the only part of laundry she can't do. She SOO wants to be able to do it completely on her own :)

And just because nothing can happen around here w/o whining, this afternoon I gave A extra chores (as consequences for telling me she wouldn't do something I'd asked her to do) and immediately heard "that's not FAIR!! What do *I* get to do?" from L, sigh . . . so we spent the last while washing windows (inside, way too cold outside), wiping down baseboards, etc. at their request (or demand, or something . . . ). Strange children.