There is 1 tradition that happens in families all over the world when seasons change. We hand things down. Yes, the normal family will go through clothes and toys and pass them down to the youngest child in the family they fit. In our family we have the same tradition with chores. Chore training can be time consuming so the summer is a great time to tackle it!

It takes a lot to make a family go around. Mom and dad can not, and should not, do it all on their own. Many hands make light work, it is proven. Giving our children chores is also good for them. It trains them to take care of themselves and develop an attitude of service. But I don’t think I need to convince you of the virtues of chores. But how often to you evaluate chores? Train for new ones? We all get in a rut and sometimes it is just easier to do it ourselves, at least in the short run. But summer is the perfect time to evaluate who does what chores and who can handle more!

Here in the NerdFamily we fol;low the mentality that the youngest child who is able to do something does it. This frees up the older children to take on more mature responsibilities thus freeing mom and dad to take care of those things that never get done!

There are 3 main areas I break these chores into: laundry, cleaning, and cooking. Each have different levels of responsibility.

Let’s look at the laundry process. The general responsibilities (getting more difficult): putting your clothes away, folding your clothes, running the clothes in the dryer, running the clothes in the washer, sorting the hampers, deciding what loads get run. In our house we start having the kids put their folded clothes in the drawer pretty young. Then we slowly progress them. Right now we have 1 who runs the washer, 2 who can do the dryer, 1 who can sort, and I decide what loads are run. But we are ready to progress.

First: Have a conversation. Talk to the younger child about the fact they are ready to learn something new. Remember that more responsibility may mean more privileges (always a selling point).
Second: Then you have the younger child shadow the older child for an agreed upon time period. During this time they get to ask the older child any questions they want! I even encourage them to take notes if they feel they need it (more of a cooking issue).
Third: The older child will shadow the younger child while the younger child tackles the choir. The older child is there to make sure it gets done correctly but with minimal input from them. Usually I say this goes on until the younger child gets it perfect 3 times.
Fourth: Officially hand this responsibility to the younger child and train the older child to do something new!

That is it! Chore training may take a little time but it will pay off big time all year and for years to come.

This is part of my 10 Days to a Better School Year. Make sure you check out my other posts and everyone in the 10 Days of Tips for Homeschool Moms. And enter the giveaway!!!

Now a days it seems all birthday wishes, happy holidays, or congratulations all seem to happen. That is fine but I know I am not alone when I say I wish I did more! Real cards that you receive in the mail are so special so why don’t we do it any more? If you are like me there is just one real reason. Life is so busy that you never get around to it. But a little planning twice a year can make all the difference! 

1)Make a list! Sit down and write a simple list of everyone that you, your spouse, or your kids want to wish a Happy Birthday or anniversary card to (or send a Christmas card to). I take it a step further and put everyone into a spreadsheet  database (that sounds so much dorkier but true) but a spreadsheet will do. I will explain why later.

2)Do a little Facebook stalking. A lot of your friends have birthday and anniversary information already sitting on their Facebook profile. This can add a bit of surprise because they won’t be expecting a real card!

3)Do a first sort of your list! I find that postage is where sending cards (especially Christmas cards) gets expensive. So do a preliminary sort or your list to determine if you are planning on mailing the card or handing it to the person. Something I love about my church is that everyone does Christmas cards but they hand them out on Sundays and in small group! But I don’t see everyone that I want to give a card so some will need to be mailed. I denote this on my database with a simple m or h. 

4)Get the addresses. First get the addresses of everyone that you know you are actually going to mail a card to. Then consider getting everyone else’s just in case you don’t see them around their special days. 

5)Sort again! Now we are going to sort in date order. Then you can see at a glance who has a birthday in September, October, etc. 

6)Print! Now we are going to print off 2 sets of address labels (if you put your list in a computer). 1 set is the labels for birthdays and anniversaries, the second for Christmas. Also print off a list in date order of who has what on what day. If you are just writing your list on paper just know you will still have to hand address envelopes. 

You can stop here or keep going! 

7)Get or make cards! Nothing is worse than wanting to send a birthday card for a guy and only having floral ones! You can order card packs from a variety of places like Amazon or even go to the Dollar Tree. If you get real creative you can make your own. I actually love to do this when I have time. I am actually planning out the Christmas Cards I am planning on making. 

8)Put it all together! You can actually put the cards completely together and sign them. Then tuck them in the envelope, label them, and put postage. They you can put a sticky note on them, put a note in your planner, or write the date in the corner in pencil to help you get them in the mail on time. 

Yes, this all will take you more than a few minutes. The first time you do it will be the most time consuming with building your list. But next time you will just have to update your list with new people in your life and new addresses for those who have moved. 

I know I feel so loved when someone takes the time to give me a card. I want to make the people in my life feel that way too! But if I do it now during the summer it will make it easier to love on everyone all year long! 

This is part of my 10 Days to a Better School Year series! Pop over to see what other great posts I have in this series. It is also part of the 10 Days of Tips for Homeschool Moms. Many great bloggers are participating. Pop over to my 10 Days hub to see them all.