The experience of a mother with many children: 5 ways to make life easier for parents and children

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Katerina, the mother of four children, chose the most common difficult situations in a large family and shared her experience on how to deal with them. Tips that will help many parents may seem both reasonable and ridiculous. However, mothers are so confused that any, even ridiculous advice will be very useful for them. For example, remember the stay in the hospital. Moms sometimes just forget to eat, for which the doctors swear and remind them of it. Below are tips and life hacks that will make life easier both in a large family and in families with one child.

Lists are a good organizer

Not quite organized and even crazy morning can be in any family. And this does not depend on whether there are many children in the family, or one child, or none at all. But when in a large family one child does not want to get up, the second cannot find his pencil case, the third does not like scrambled eggs for breakfast, and preferably croutons, then mom is not far from a nervous breakdown. There is a solution - compile to-do lists.

Use a notebook, notebook or download the application to a smartphone / tablet;
Record morning activities for all family members. The list should include everything that children need to do before leaving home. Lift, morning toilet, bed cleaning, breakfast, collect a briefcase, etc .;
Various badges, stickers, emoticons or other nice prizes will help motivate children. The main point is to make them want to do what is on the list;
Lists with deeds and with encouragement should be placed nearby so that the children see what needs to be done. Leave encouraging notes or emoticons around the house.

Children have more independence

“Every day I get four lunches at school. Honestly, this is my most unloved duty. But since I involved children in the process, everything has become much simpler, ”says mother Katerina with many children.

Buy 3 plastic containers to fit on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. On each sticker picture with the image of fruits, vegetables, snacks or just sign them;
In the evening, pack slices of fruit, vegetables, healthy snacks in foil and place everything in appropriate containers;
In the morning, when you are engaged in the main part of the lunch, the children themselves choose and put snacks in school bags.You save time, and the kids can not complain that you forgot to put them an apple.

In the kitchen, the child should be comfortable

Children show independence from early childhood. Maintain in them the desire to be independent, do not try to do everything yourself, otherwise you will be guaranteed a feeling of constant fatigue. Little is needed for this: the kitchen space should be convenient for children so that they can independently perform elementary actions. For example, have a snack on the morning of the weekend, and you can relax an extra hour.

For each child, buy dishes of a certain color. They will know their plates and cups, which will prevent debate about who should eat from the red plate and who should wash the green mug;
Children's dishes should be placed in the closet so that the kids can get it on their own;
Similarly, you can do with products intended for breakfast or for snacks. For example, place a container of milk in the refrigerator below, cereals in the bottom cabinet of the kitchen table. Having woken up on the day off, children will be able to have a bite themselves. The main thing is to remove all spices, flour, etc.

For rewards - a jar with pebbles

That's right, you heard right. Need a jar with stones or chestnut fruits for each child. This is the most convenient way to keep track of bonuses received or spent, for example, to control the time spent by children in front of a computer or TV.

In addition to stones and a jar with a sticker on which the name of the child is written, a timer is also needed. You can allow each of the children to decorate their jar;
Decide on the rules that will govern the time that children spent at the TV screen or at the computer for 1 stone, for example, 15-20 minutes. But there is a limitation - stones cannot be stored for a long time in order to sit behind the screen all day;
Determine what your child needs to do to get one stone. Here, for each family, everything is individual. It can be some kind of homework, daytime sleep, a completely eaten lunch, etc .;
The child sends the earned stone to his bank. When he wants to use it, he will pay you with a stone. That's all! BUT, you must adhere to the rule: you can not take away stones as a punishment for bad behavior. Stones are not a means of blackmailing a child; he himself “earns” them and “spends” them himself. But you can offer a compromise: pay with stones. For example, a child is harming and does not want to put away toys or a bed. Suggest such options: do the cleaning yourself and get 6 stones, remove together with you for 3 pebbles, you can remove for the child, but he must give 6 stones. The choice is up to him.

Hang up signs

Constantly repeating the same thing - it annoys many parents! Children often let everything pass their ears, and then they are upset that they upset you. So that an open tube of toothpaste, a piece of apple on a table or uncleaned things do not spoil your mood, help each other!

Make an attractive reminder sign and hang it where the kids constantly forget to do something. No need to be zealous and write about everything at once, because a native home is not an army with unquestioning fulfillment of the charter;
These reminders quickly change the family atmosphere. Adults do not get annoyed, do not constantly remind children of their responsibilities, and children do not get upset because they again forgot about your instruction.

If you use these tips daily, then life with children will become easier and most importantly - more interesting!

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