Taking the stress out of your life

This one is for those of you with children.

I know it is difficult to get children to clean up their rooms and help with housework around the house.  Children of all ages need a lot of praise and encouragement to perform these tasks willingly without nagging.

I am going to give you some ideas of how to do this.  I would like any of you who have any other ideas to email me your ideas, to CommentsToMe@AllAboutMS.ca.  I will post those ideas to share with others.

Rent the movie “Peter Pan”  by Disney, or read the story to your children.  After watching the movie, reading the book, or telling the story explain to them that Tinker Bell is going to start visiting them everyday, but they will never see Tinker Bell.  But some gold or silver glitter, this will be your Tinker Bell dust.

Tell them that Tinker Bell will leave them some Tinker Bell dust and a reward whenever they clean their room, make their bed, perform a chore around the house, etc.  Use your imagination. 

You are going to become Tinker Bell.

Explain to your children that after they clean their room, perform a chore, help around the house, that Tinkle Bell will visit and leave them a note or a small surprise.  You could buy a scrap book or photo album to keep all the notes in, you could also write a note about the surprises that they received.  Be sure to date everything.  You must be careful to be age appropriate with your surprises.  Older children benefit from this also.  You have to be honest in your praise.

If you have older and younger children you can enlist the older ones to be Tinker Bell.

All of you can have a lot of fun with this.

Rewards can be a treat, a gift, a note of encouragement, a hug, a note promising some alone time with you, a promise of a special meal.  It is very important that you leave dust and a reward every single time that your child does something to help around the house.  If you don't act on it immediately you will lose their trust and assistance.