THINGS ARE A-CHANGIN’ THIS YEAR!

My boys are in 4th grade this year, so it’s time they do more, so  I can do less.  And really, it’s time.  Don’t worry, I’m not totally cutting them out on their own, but they need to start assuming more responsibility concerning getting ready for school each morning, remembering their schedules, doing their chores, etc.

So let’s start with school.  The night before, they need to pack up their backpacks after they finish their homework and I check it.  In the morning, they need to figure out if they are bringing lunch or buying.  (They are allowed to buy only twice per week.  Call me cheap, call me a health nut, whatever!)  They can get out their lunch box (are they still called lunch boxes, cuz they really aren’t boxes anymore – hey, I still remember my Partridge Family lunch box!), the blue ice thingee, and the “sides” that  they want.  I’ll make their sandwiches for them.  They also need to remember to bring a snack (I don’t actually know if 4th graders bring snacks, but they did in 3rd grade) if they didn’t already pack that.

After school, they need to unpack their backpack and give me whatever I need to see (of course I’ll double check this) and start on their homework at whatever time we agree upon.

Regarding their schedule, I’ll start putting their activities on the kitchen calendar so they can check it every night when they are putting their backpacks together.  So if they have a cub scout meeting or something else after school that they’ll need a note for, they will have to remind me to write it.

Chores.  Hmmm, that’s a tougher one.  As it is now, they earn their allowance by doing chores, but only if they remember, not if I have to remind them.  This hasn’t worked out so well.  I have an idea to keep the same concept, but tweak it a little bit.  I just hate having to remind them to do the same things, day after day after day.  (One of those little things that annoys the heck out of me!)

So I think I’ll start with these little changes and if all goes well, expand from there.  Wish me luck!

Karen