How do I create MORE time?

As a parent there are days I reflect on how I am as a parent. I think the biggest part to being a good parent is being able to spend "quality" time with your children. January through April (tax season for hubby) are especially times where I have to look over things and weed out the unnecessary parts of life that just add to chaos. Having five children is enough to fill anyone's schedule, but having twins with special needs and so many services to enhance their abilities I tend to try to find new ideas to help things run a little smoother. I am looking for ideas for good chore charts that are motivating to kids and any rewards you may have used...money, computer/tv time, special parent time together, overnights with friends..etc. What chores are appropriate for what ages, and how much time do you give for each job to be completed?

Caleb and Isaac have finally begun playing with toys. Lots of toys, they play with one, then find another, then another, then another, and now I need to teach them how to clean up after themselves. Mind you, I'm not complaining in the lest, I've very excited to see them realizing how toys work. Its very cute to see them bopping their heads to music, pushing buttons to make things work, and even watching them fight with each other because they don't want to share their fun toy with their brother. Its just that they are adding to the mess these days.

Tristin and Camille are totally like me when I was their age. Sorry Mom, how did you do it...LOL They have clothes thrown all over their bedroom floor, even though their dirty clothes hamper is right in the corner of their room about three feet away from where they lay on the floor. When I do laundry they do put it away, its getting them to NOT throw it on the floor after they wear them that's the problem.

Elijah, he's the man. He puts his clothes away on laundry day. We hang up a weeks worth of school clothes so he's ready for school each day but now he's starting to throw his clothes on the floor each night...UGH Monkey see, monkey do.

I'm ready to try something new so we all can free up some of our time to be able to do quality time together. We got a Wii for Christmas and just recently the Wii Fit, we love playing that together and its been really fun playing together as a team and taking turns and giving high fives, and cheering each other on. That has been great for us!! I'd like to read more books to the kids, to play more board games, to sit and snuggle a little more than we already to.

So go ahead, be critical if need be, help me free up more of my time by helping me figure out how to organize my children's chores. If they did more work around here it would free up some of my time for them, if they would only realize that. And I should say that I would imagine if anyone has this down to a T themselves, they would have a book written already ;) But its worth asking eh??

PS.. Tristin, if you reading this.. your welcome to offer advice to your mama too!!


~Stacy