Sick kid, & Printables

August 26, 2007

Hello dear Mommies,

Today I asked my 3 year old if she was hungry, and she turned her whole torso towards me to answer. The red flags weren’t just waving - the lights were flashing - the adrenaline was rising - the whole works. One thing I’ve learned - don’t ignore the “mommy-sense”. I examined her carefully, pulled back her cute blonde hair to reveal what can only be described as a mump on the side of her neck. Now, she has a history of bacterial infections which are usually treated with antibiotics, and we were warned to get her to a doctor immediately if she had vague symptoms that could resemble a cold or infection. So off we flew to the emergency dept at the hospital. (Without her shoes - oooops!)

We’re back, she has adnoi&^%#. I figure if I remember the first part of the word, i can google it, and figure out what we’re dealing with. Oh by the way, a great place to find reliable information on the web: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/symptom-checker/DS00671. So she’s on some pretty pink antibiotics. And one crisis averted for today.

Looking back on the last couple days, I can recognize why all the whiny behavior and general bad attitude. One thing that we tried with her (remember - 3 years old) was a chore chart. Her big sister gets all the chores around here - recycling, cleaning up, setting table - what a bummer! Here are some printables that I hope are useful to your family too. I find that around ages 3- 5, or whenever they start to get board, is a good time to start adding routine, and teeny bits of responsibility.

Child’s Schedule: I start with this picture full of categorized pictures: athletics, academics, music, household chores, personal hygiene, and nutrition. ican-do-it-icons.pdf(a pdf file) Print this out, and cut out whatever chores, or categories you think appropriate for your little one. Add these pictures to different times of the day, and your little one has her/his very first schedule! Here is an example that my daughter used when she was 5:

The pictures above mean:

stay in bed until 7 AM
clean up toys
read books /look at pictures
tidy shoes (in the entryway)
complete a quiet time (1 hour in her room)
set the table
feed the dog

This gave her some structure, which suited her personality to a tee! I’m a big fan of personal guidance, and creative discipline. Not every child would thrive with a routine. Some need more verbal or kinesthetic cues to switch activities.

To Use: Put the schedule together, laminate it, and place in an easy-to-refer-to place like the child’s bedroom door, or closet. She/he can then use a white marker to cross off those items that are done. Wipe it clean at the end of the day.

Chore Chart: Paste the appropriate icons onto a graph: 7 days across by ‘# of chores’ down. Use 8.5 x 11 paper, and slip the finished graph into a page protector.

To use: Place the chore chart in an area that the two of you frequent often - the breakfast nook, the refrigerator, etc. Tape a baggie full of stickers on the bottom of the chart. And the child can place stickers next to each chore completed. When the chart is full, you can replace the page protector and begin again! Rewards are sometimes fun too. Not always food, I might add: balloons, those noise-makers from the dollar store, a bag of beads & string are some examples.

Here’s a teaching calendar including days of the week, and the weather.
See links below to print full-size versions.

Laminate It Yourself: purchase clear drawer liner/ mac tac from the dollar store to “laminate” your own calendar. Purchase a roll of adhesive-backed magnet, cut into pieces, and adhere to the individual pictures. And voila! You have your own interactive calendar on the fridge! And she/he can even write on it with a white board marker. Markers & magnets are also really inexpensive at Ikea.

Here are the pdf links if you’d like to print them for you & yours:

The empty calendar template: haleys-calendar-pg-2.jpg

The calendar “magnets”:calendar-icons.jpg

Well, whew! One day nearly done. I hope that yours has been a tad less eventful. But thanks for reading mine!
Take care of yourselves dear mommies,

Multitalentedmommy