Yes, yes I know what you are thinking, “Lisa, isn’t this meant to be a book blog and therefore only have works of literary aspirations posted on it?” Well yes, dear reader, you are correct and so that I can reasonably state that this is suitable as a blog post on this book blog and not on my old lifestyle blog how about you pop over to my recent post (when you finish here, of course!) where I review Cas Aarssen’s book Real Life Organising by clicking HERE!

For anyone who doesn’t know I live in an aspiring zoo and in turn keeping on top of the housework is tedious, that being said all house work is tedious! I was perusing through Bloglovin’ and noticed a post by Cas a.k.a. Clutterbug about screen time with children and using chores to help them earn their time using electronics. In this day and age (showing my age here folks) technology is everywhere and kids will happily remain sedentary for a whole day, I swear if a potty and a fridge were next to them they would never move. Given this environment that we are raising kids in, I thought this was a fantastic idea so as soon as I saw this blog post I printed the printable even before watching the relating Youtube video. The following day my daughter was swiftly told that with school being over she had to take on more responsibility in the house, she is always expected to clean her room and dust every day but I feel that given she is 9 she does need to do a bit more.

I made her her own wee kit up as I am ‘OCD’ about my stuff always being in the right place, plus who wants to use Mum’s stuff anyways?! Good grief, I have to buy her new copies of books I own from when I was a child as her stock statement is “Just because you liked it doesn’t mean I will!” so the new copy makes her think it is a new book. She isn’t a cheeky child, by any means, but she likes her own stuff and given I am an only child also I understand where she is coming from. Ok, so back to the cleaning!

This kit was so easy to put together. I went to some cheapy shop, I believe B & M Bargains, and bought the sprays and wipes (the sponges, yellow duster and baskets I already owned), there are also fluffy dusters but I forgot to lift them out to photograph. The baskets were part of this frame thing in the bathroom that I had for odds and bobs then realised it was just collecting dust so removed it and kept the baskets. I am one of those people who keep things ‘just in case’ and this time it worked out! I printed off the checklist and then laminated and hot glued the checklists to the baskets and then there is the ‘Screen Checklist’, that is oh so very elegantly, stuck to my fridge using magnets! Using a white board marker ticks are put in the boxes as my daughter completes each task then they can be wiped off due to the lamination but I don’t think this is something that is needed to be done, it is just something which I prefer.

HERE is the blog post from Clutterbug.

We implemented this on Friday, last week, as it was the last day of school, and she had been getting into the swing of it over the weekend. Come Monday morning she woke me shouting wanting to know where the baking trays went because she was emptying the dishwasher. As an only child and not living near any children in her peer group my daughter goes to summer scheme every year and she has been getting up and doing these chores and ready to leave the house for 8 am yet during the school year I nearly have to kick her out the door to school and she loves school!

If she keeps this up the rest of the summer I actually believe that I will continue using this as a method of getting chores done and possibly, just possibly, she might start being ready for school on time come September….one can dream, right?!

I am not working with Clutterbug on this post but given that I reviewed her book recently and how great this seems to be working, so far, in my house that it was worth posting to maybe encourage you to buy her book 🙂