Updated Chore Board

I asked my husband to make a chore board for some friends of ours and it totally rocks more than our old one we made a couple years ago.

So guess what it is on my "honey do list".....You got it a new chore board for us.

For the new board he took a scrap board from the shop (his garage) and using his router he engraved the names into the wood and routed a decorative edge.  Pick the color you want to paint it, we chose a shade of green.  Before painting though, remember to sand the board.  Next, he painted the board;  once the board was dry he antiqued it with stain.  He used hooks on the front and don't forget to use some screws and wire on the back side to hang it.

You can find some free downloads on the left of my blog of our chore cards we use.  I print them on card stock and laminate.  The back side of chore cards can be left blank or check out my old post on the chore cards for another option http://theischysfishys.blogspot.com/2011/08/chore-chart.html.

Child Training Bible

http://www.childtrainingbible.com/

We have been using this tool for about six months now and I highly recommend it.  I did spend extra time adding some additional tags in our Bible.  This is a great tool but lacks in the following: leading you to the blessings of your child having a Spirit filled heart, examples of men and women who were Spirit filled and who were disobedient to God.  My kids relate and remember stories so I like to not only lead them to a single verse but a story that relates to that heart attitude.

So here are the adjustments or additions we added to ours:

On our tabs I added EX. (examples) and B (blessings) and left plain if it was just a scripture in reference to the sinful nature.

For example, for defiance I tabbed CTB's scripture reference along with others that I pulled from Instructions in Righteousness (doorposts.com) red.  I also red tabbed stories that demonstrated defiance and labeled that red tab with an EX.  

Then I red tabbed scripture that spoke of a child who was the opposite of the sinful nature of defiance (obedience) and labeled it with a B.  Then on that page I highlighted the blessing of obedience with orange.

 Here is a picture to show how I label mine.

This page is tabbed red for defiance and I have a EX. and a B.

The orange shows when you obey what God says the blessing will be.

The red is a scripture of disobedience.

I also added sticky notes throughout of rewards and discipline for their heart attitude.





Vision Boards for 2012-2013

I am behind on blogging and so some of the coming posts will be from past moments from this year.  I want to add them, because eventually this blog will be printed into family albums.

It is a passion of mine to train and teach our children to be mission minded.  We live in such a world of busyness and selfishness and I don't want our children to get caught up in that and forget our true purpose in life.    I pray that they will have a heart for the Lord as David did and that they will always wash the feet of others as Jesus did.
 
With this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to make vision boards.

God is in the center of the board to remind them that He should be the center of all they do and everything they do should be done for his glory. 

We then discussed: what they would like to learn, what their talents were and how they could use them to serve others. 

Then they had to write or cut out pictures of what we discussed, adhere it to their boards, and hang it on their wall as a daily reminder. 

I am so excited to see them work on these goals, to watch them grow in their walk with the Lord and to serve others.

Hannah's board had: raise funds for All Girls Allowed http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/, come closer to God in her walk, save money for a family vacation, spend more time with God, save money for a horse, make her way to Olympics, beat world record in freestyle and breaststroke, become a famous swimmer, create paintings for the elderly, start a shop selling clothes.

Lauren's board had: paint pictures for elderly, play piano for elderly, build a lemonade stand with daddy, raise money for All Girls Allowed.

God's Gift of Purity



Shared a sweet moment with Lauren reading The Princess and the Kiss. She had tears flowing down her cheek and said, "Mommy you didn't save your first kiss for our daddy." I had to explain how I once didn't have Jesus in my life and didn't make choices that honored him and that brought a lot of emptiness and heart ache. By God's grace I was able to heal and he showered me with his mercy and love. He blessed me more than I deserved by bringing daddy (Tray) into my life.

I than explained to her that she now knows the importance of saving her first kiss and that it is not just because mommy says so.  God gives us wisdom on how to live a life that is God honoring because he loves us.  When we choose to go our own way we are choosing to bring emptiness and a lot of misery into our hearts.
"love...comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith"  (1 Timothy 1:5) NIV

I love that I can teach my kids at home and that I can share the word of God and his love for them all day!

Treasure Others Above Yourself

The lesson for the 1st and 2nd graders at church was to treasure others above yourself.  One of the Bible verses they used was Matthew 6:21.  This is a topic that we have really been focusing on especially this past week in our house.  The wheels started turning as I listened to the lesson.  I thought this could become another great visual aid and hands on approach of dealing with selfishness in our house. So I came home and started putting it all together.

 

The kids could read the verse on the treasure box.  Then we could talk about what is happening in their heart.  Are they glorifying God or are their own desires causing them to be dragged away by sin. Allow the child to ponder it and tell you who his/her actions are glorifying.  When our first treasure is in Christ then our actions will reflect Christ and He will be glorified.  In Romans 12:10 it says to love and honor others above ourselves  (Romans 12:10).

Next, I will have the kids write on a small piece of paper what their want is (being 1st player, not wanting to share, who gets the first sandwich or the last bit of milk, 1st down the slide-you get the point) and then they are to PUT it on the shelf. 





Then, they are to write how they could put the other person above themselves and insert it into the treasure chest. http://www.reading-with-kids.com/images/pirate-treasure-chest.jpg. 

We will then PRAY and put into ACTION the idea they placed into the treasure chest .  

http://www.mediafire.com/?4eotvh8iuei0p30  treasure chest enlarged to put together

http://www.mediafire.com/?7eq1lf2zterbnjh    Put your wants on the shelf and ......

http://www.mediafire.com/?kyfon37k9dgxfy4  the heart with cross and children

http://www.mediafire.com/?k4p1lqx8d6xsdpx  the treasure chest with Bible verse

Instructions: 

• Print out the words, cut and laminate.
• Print out the heart, cut.
• Print out the treasure chest with scripture, cut.  Then along the bottom right corner of inside part of treasure chest cut an "L" shape.  Basically along the edges.  You are going to put the heart a little inside the slit, so it looks like the heart is actually inside the chest (make sure to glue it).  Then you can laminate.
• For the brown item that they will put their wants in, I just cut a rectangle out of construction paper, folded all 4 side up a little, then cut slits on the ends and folded one side inside another and glued.
• Be sure to print the treasure chest on card stock, cut and glue. 



Chore Chart

Our new chore chart we made.  I love it and most importantly the kids do to!  I saw the idea on the internet under clip art - chore boards.  There were several different ones all using the the same idea.

• Tray painted a board, large enough to fit all the kids names, to match our living room decor. 
• I used a Cricut to create all the lettering.  (Jasmine Font) 
• The images for the cards I found on google - clip art and created a word document with them. (Below is a link you can open and use the cards I created)
• I printed the word document on regular paper. 
• Each kid has their own cardstock color for their everyday regular chores (brush teeth, brush hair...).  I used patterned coordinating scrapbooking paper for the chores that I alternate between the kids.  I glued the word document to the back side of the cardstock and scrapbooking paper then cut.
• I laminated and cut again. 
• I hole punched the cards.  I would suggest hole punching one and using it to stack on the others so you get all your holes in the exact spot.
• We got the hooks at Home Depot really cheap. 

Chore Card Document
http://www.mediafire.com/?pv4wbxrxchd6g0p

Overflow of the Heart

This chart was inspired by a book I recently read called Shepherding a Child's Heart. I had made early last year a chart of blessings and consequences that was a quick throw together.

I spent a couple of weeks putting together this chart. My prayer is that it will be a blessing for you and your family too.

I decided to use hearts for a couple of reasons:

1. It is a reminder to not only deal with the behavior issues, but the heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
2. To remind you to discipline in love, for our discipline should express our love. God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12)
3. To discuss with the child if their hearts and actions are glorifying God? Man's primary purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalms 16:11) We have joy and pleasure in God when we live according His purpose. Our selfish desires and prideful hearts will not bring us lasting joy.

The top of the chart has Luke 6:45 as above.

I love the term Rescue Mission, it comes from the book. For me the discipline or consequence doesn't always need to be something harsh, but needs to be shown or explained in a way that leaves a lasting impression. As parents we are on a mission to train our children's hearts to make choices that glorify God and not our own selfish desires.

The top heart on both the Rescue Mission and Blessing Side have a scripture that correlates with the Rescue Mission or Blessing underneath.

I wanted the chart to be an aid for the parent. With the chart it helps as a visual and an instant reminder for both parent (in reference to heart when disciplining) and child (for heart and behavior). The idea behind velcroing the hearts was so that the child and you together open up the Word for the final authority or to see the blessings we hold when we live a fruitful life. It is also good for the hands on learner. I know I want my child to always seek the Word in difficult and joyful times in their life. To seek all answers from Him. This begins to teach them that.

These are just ideas for you behind the top heart.

You may not always go to the hearts either. Sometimes you may want to just read a scripture from the Sinful Nature and one from the Blessing Side and ask them which one are they demonstrating? What is the root of that behavior? (I find it pretty much boils down to pride or selfishness) Are you glorifying God? How can we glorify God? Do you want to pray and ask God for forgiveness and to help you to be more.....so that we can enjoy God and glorify Him?

The chart is 10-3/4" wide x 25" length. I used a 24" x 28" posterboard fold it in half and use one side.

1. Print out the Overflow of the Heart and Luke 6:45 cut them out, glue them onto posterboard, then laminate the posterboard.
2. Print out the blessing and rescue mission hearts. Number them from 1 to 14. They are in the same order as the Overflow Chart. Be sure to put an R or B in front of the number. This way if they get pulled off you know exactly where it goes. Laminate them and then cut out.
3. Cut velcro in half put them on the outside rounded part of the heart. Same with the hearts on the posterboard.

I would love your comments.

If you use the chart or post to your blog I ask that you reference back to my post. Thank you!

Find below Blessing, Heart Issues, Sinful Heart, and Luke 6:45 documents to download.
http://www.mediafire.com/?7b9ebwbyom0b0za
http://www.mediafire.com/?jaz0bm059lhqa2m
http://www.mediafire.com/?rl459m9lpwlkwdj
http://www.mediafire.com/?mf3abhz88rt14xs

 

New Color Coded Chore System

We are starting a new chore system in lieu of the chore list. I found this idea at http://suchtreasure.com/2008/05/08/chore-system-chore-cards/ .

Each child has their own color. Hannah is blue, Lauren is pink, Micah is green, and purple for general chores that are rotated between them. The top envelope is their chores for the day. The bottom envelope is their chores completed. When all are completed they are allowed to play Wii with daddy when he gets home. Then at the end of the week they recieve their allowance, which is divided into 10% savings, 10% church offering, 3% missions/outreach, 77% to spend how they wish.

Some of the reasons why I prefer this method instead of the chore list are:

• No more writing out the chores each week.
• Chores can be assigned as per the needs of our household on a daily basis.
• Each child learns how to master all the tasks in helping to maintain our home.
• It is a visual and hands on approach.

For your littlest one(s) who aren't reading yet, you can add pictures of their chores. I did this for my four year old son. He likes having his own belongings on the cards. With his pick up toys card, he said, "I see my dragon." There is no doubt for him what his chores are.

• Hannah's Chores: Pick up toys and room, make bed, brush teeth, brush hair, get dressed, put laundry away
• Lauren's Chores: Pick up toys and room, make bed, brush teeth brush hair, get dressed, put laundry away
• Micah's Chores: Pick up toys and room, brush teeth, get dressed, make bed, empty trash cans, feed cat, put laundry away, 
• Chores that are rotated: feed fish, sweep bathroom floors, clean bathroom sinks, vacuum upstairs, dust, help cook breakfast, set table-dinner, load morning dishes in dishwasher, water garden, load lunch dishes in dishwasher, help cook dinner, set table-breakfast, sweep back porch, tidy up toys in backyard, unload dishwasher-morning, clean litter box, mop bathroom floors, clean bathroom toilets, clean baseboards, wipe down school furniture, clean windows, vacuum window sills, wipe down doors.

Now the chores that are rotated are not done everyday, but on an as needed basis and we all share in the responsibility of completing them.
To make the pockets I used 3 5/8" x 6-1/2" envelopes and cut them in half.
For the chore cards I used 3" x 5" index cards.
I then laminated them all.

With us working as a team to maintain the house it gives us more free time to spend together doing the things we enjoy as a family.

We do workboxes for the 4 yr old and 7 yr old.  The first tag they have to flip over is chores.  I do this as a reminder to go back and make sure they completed everything in the to do pocket before they can begin their school assignments.

Hannah's First Loan

Each week Hannah gets an allowance if she completes her chores. Up to this point we have taught her how to distribute that money. She puts 20% in savings, gives 10% for tithe, 5% for missions, and the balance she can spend how she chooses.

I felt it was now time to teach her about financial loans. I don't want her to learn it by having a car repossessed. So when she had asked for some items for her hamster the other day I told her that I would give her a financial loan with interest that she would need to repay within a set time. She agreed.

Hannah has been house sitting some of the neighbors animals this summer and making good money for a nine year old.

Within two weeks of giving her the loan she had enough money to pay me back. She approached me and said she had the money, but also wanted to get something else. This gave us the opportunity to talk about the importance of repaying debts. We also talked about how we should not give into the worlds idea that we need to fill our every "ME" desire. After our discussion I gave her the opportunity to choose what she wanted to do with her money. I am happy that she chose to pay her debts.