Curing The Chaos

Mothers all over the world are frantically searching for ways to keep their kids from totally destroying the house and finding that it is no small task. There is a secret to keeping the kids’ behavior under control, but it takes some commitment from you. It is called “involvement.” Television is only effective for so long in our home, like five minutes maximum. It also dumbs down your children and contributes to ADHD symptoms. Fear not, television is not the only way to entertain your kids. Today’s idea for curing summer time blues is making a summer memory box. Here are some pictures of our memory box activity:

I purchased cheap, wooden boxes from the local craft supply store, as well as tempera paints, brushes and foam letters. The kids helped cover the table with plastic garbage bags. They spent an hour painting their creations and made some beautiful designs. The two younger boys made bug catching boxes, that had wire sections on the lids. Ella and Marlie made jewelry boxes. The older boys made treasure chests and Reed made a mini version of a memory box.

The clean up was very easy. I assigned tasks to each kid and we cleaned up in under five minutes. Then, they spent the next few hours collecting bugs, searching for items to put in the treasure chests and playing nicely. Yes, you heard me right. Not one fight broke out all afternoon. I was amazed. I think that giving them some attention and engaging them in an activity that they enjoy, cured the cranky attitudes that boredom often births.