Schools out for the summer! With the kids home during the day there is likely more clutter to deal with. A few helpful ideas include giving kids responsibility early. Responsible kids are made, not born! Remember in a few short years your son or daughter will be someone’s roommate or spouse…will they make a good one??
Cooking, laundry, organizing, and money management can all be included as part of your kids daily routine. Here are a few of the summer “chores” that we did with our kids, so I know they really work! Have your kids help with summer meal plans and have them help cook. Younger kids can help put laundry away and older kids can easily learn to do laundry. Organizational skills are best taught through modeling. If you always return items where they belong your kids will learn to do the same. Talk openly with your kids about finances and teach them how to spend responsibly, save, and give back.
Lastly, reward your children with experiences, not things. Spending time together provides life long memories and living in the Northwest provides endless opportunities.