Chore Lists

Today I created for John his first chore lists, which I've posted on the refrigerator. I found black-and-white line drawings online and printed them out, affixing them to on a sunny yellow sign for daytime chores and a dark blue sign for evening chores. I did this while John was napping and after he woke up he found the signs himself and gasped with joy at the "beautiful signs!!!"

I did not present them as "chore lists," but explained with animation that he is "such a big boy" that these are pictures of things he "gets" to do. Then we went through each picture and he'd say things like, "That is a cat just like our cat!"

When Chris walked in the house from work at dinner time, John's first words to him were, "Look at my beautiful signs!"

Most of these are chores John does already, like picking up toys (with much parental management), but some are new ones, like learning to clear his own plates and to put his dirty laundry in the hamper. I expect for most of these that he will still need reminders virtually every single time and complete hand-holding for now. The signs give me a tool that John thinks is fun to help remind him. So, tonight when he got undressed for bath time, I asked with excitement, "Hey! Wasn't there something on your sign about laundry?" He said, "Yes!" Then ran to a laundry hamper, pointed, and said, "Right there!" I said, "Show me how to do it!" And he threw his dirty shirt into the hamper.

Moms: do you have any tips on introducing a calendar to a two-and-a-half-year-old? I'd like to create a 7-day or one-month blank calendar with pictures for our most common activities: things like grocery store, library, occupational therapy, Daddy being on a business trip. John is showing interest in time, so he'll rattle off days or he'll say, "Remember when we did that last year?" (speaking of something we did two days ago--it's so cute). Today I told him about a dinner guest coming on Sunday (in three days) and he ran to the window to wait for him, so I got out a calendar to show him the boxes until Sunday. It would be nice to have a calendar just for John with pictures he can "read." I walked around the craft store looking for a way to create a calendar which I can change all the time, but nothing seemed perfect. Can any of you share ideas that have worked for you? (White board, cork board, paper, plastic sleeves, tacks, tape, Velcro . . .)