Works for Me Wednesday

February 27, 2008 at 10:24 am (Cleaning/Organizing, Works for Me Wednesday) (, , , )

Job Jar

Picking up toys is the bane of my existence.  Ok, not really, but it does drive me crazy.  Cupcake (2 1/2) and Sprinkles (13 mo.) love to play but didn’t think picking up was much fun.

So I made a “job jar”. I used a container my hand could fit into and that also had a lid.  (I used a baby food cereal can.)  I wrote out different jobs on colored paper, cut them into slips and put them in the jar.

Some examples of jobs are:

  • Pick up dress up clothes and put them in the toy box
  • Pick up Barbies and put them in the toy bin
  • Put books back on bookshelf
  • Put together puzzles and store on shelf

The girls pick a job or two before lunch and bedtime.  They are very cooperative if I help.  Sometimes it would be quicker to do it myself, but I really want them to learn how to pick up after themselves.  So I am taking the time now to teach them and they are eager to learn at this age.

They are usually excited to take a turn picking a job and “getting” to pick up their toys.  It’s working like a charm for now.

For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, check out Rock in My Dryer.

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5 Comments

  1. Nikke said,

    February 27, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    This is a WONDERFUL idea!!

  2. Andrea said,

    February 27, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    Hi,
    That is a good idea! That is so much better than my threatening tio throw toys away :) . I had a similar system when my girls were young. We had a consequence and reward jar. They helped decide some of the consequences and rewards. Some examples were no Barbies today, no t.v., choose a treat on next outing, choose an art activity, etc. My favorite part was the “God’s grace” in the punishment jar (nothing happened), but there was also a “Smile, God loves you” in the reward (no physical reward, just the satisfaction). Thanks for sharing!

  3. terry said,

    February 27, 2008 at 6:02 pm

    Today was my first time to! Really great idea, teaching our kids is so vital!

  4. mamacita said,

    February 27, 2008 at 11:36 pm

    Very good idea! By the way, I clicked on your picture so I could see the “Real to-do list” up close. Did you make that or did you purchase it somewhere? I’d love to know how you made it or where you got it!

  5. momentsofmotherhood said,

    February 28, 2008 at 12:22 am

    Thanks for the encouragement.

    Andrea, I love the “God’s grace” and “Smile, God loves you”. I’m going to have to borrow those ideas!

    Mamacita, I got the tile from a Hallmark store. It was one of the few things I bought for myself on a whim.

    Here’s the link:
    http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&partNumber=NPSED6053_DK&rank=P1R1S&searchValue=The+Real+To-Do+List

    Lucky

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