New Habits for a New Year

As the new year begins, I really want to implement some elements of our future home school.
I have been tossing these ideas around in my mind, but I haven't written anything out yet.

As the reading this week in The Original Homeschooling Series is about habit, I plan to start working on one habit per month that will make our life easier when we begin our official Year 1 with Bo.

"Wherefore, it is as much the parent's duty to educate his child into moral strength and purpose and intellectual activity as it is to feed him and clothe him; and that in spite of his nature, if it must be so.

Nature then, strong as she is, is not invincible; and, at her best, Nature is not to be permitted to ride rampant. Bit and bridle, hand and voice, will get the utmost of endeavour out of her if her training be taken in hand in time; but let Nature run wild, like the forest ponies, and not spur nor whip will break her in.

It was new to me, for instance, to perceive that it rests with parents and teachers to lay down lines of habit on which the life of the child may run henceforth with little jolting or miscarriage, and may advance in the right direction with the minimum of effort."

So for this month. I would like to begin working with Bo and Boo on being helpers. I am planning on making a small pocket chart for the frig with clip art or pictures illustrating the jobs I want them to help me with each day.

This will be a big change for me, because I usually cleaning the house while the boys are playing. I really want them to be involved in helping care for our home. I want to make it an enjoyable thing to do together. I do not want to always clean the house myself and then suddenly, ask them to take on a job when they get to be a certain age. I want to make contributing to our home something they have always done.

So here's what I had in mind:

Daily

Bo: dress(he already does this)

brush teeth

help prepare breakfast (Bo is usually my early riser)

help wash dishes after lunch

sweep under table after lunch

pick-up toys as needed (this is the one that always causes controversy)

*Tuesday-bring garbage cans back to house

unload and put away groceries/house items as needed

Weekly Home Blessing Hour ( flylady ): help change sheets, wash windows

Boo: dress(we are working on this)

brush teeth

help prepare supper (this can be a time of conflict between the boys at the end of

the day, so separating them may prove beneficial)

help wash dishes after breakfast

sweep under table after breakfast

pick-up toys as needed (controversy as well)

*Tuesday-garbage cans back to the house

unload and put away groceries/house items as needed

Weekly Home Blessing Hour:change sheets/wash windows

I tried to think of jobs that I think the boys will enjoy. It's a lot of fun for a 2 and 3 year old to wash dishes as well as cook. Boo loves to find his broom and help sweep anytime I am sweeping. I am sure I can convince the boys to help unload and put things away if I tell them I need help from some boys with big muscles.

I want to work on conveying a servant's heart as I care for the children daily.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17