I found this bright idea in Family Fun magazine. A mom contributor recommended putting arrows inside to help your kids figure it out for themselves.

I found a magic marker and did this to all my 3 year old’s shoes. I can’t believe the difference. She grabs her shoes out of the shoe basket, points the arrows together and then gets them on all by herself. This is a bright idea I’m sure I’ll hang on to.

I bought a rolling under-bed wrapping paper box from WalMart. I created the dividers by trimming a sheet of white foam core posterboard and then attached them with clear packing tape. I also covered the edges with clear packing tape to add durability. I printed the labels onto white cardstock and then attached them to both the bottom and side of each section with clear laminating film.

On laundry day, I sort the kids clothes into baskets. They pick the shirt, underwear and socks they want to wear each day and I help them find the pants to match. Whatever is left in the basket gets put away in their drawers and the bin rolls back under their bed.

This solution is great because it’s completely kid friendly. Nothing has to be neatly folded and it’s all within reach of even the smallest arms.  Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file download for the ‘days of the week’ labels below.

My two youngest can’t read yet, so I needed a method of labeling that would be easy for them too. I used my digital camera to take some pictures of their toys. I printed them out in wallet size and then laminated them. I then stuck them to the containers with Velcro so that I could swap them out as the contents change over the years.

They’re so easy to make and even easier for my kids to use. I’ve got these all over my kids rooms, the toy room, the job chart and the craft boxes.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

My kids have a tendency to dump everything out when they’re digging for socks, undershirts, tights or other little items. I created these easy dividers for their underwear drawer to help them keep things organized. I bought a sheet of foam-core posterboard and trimmed it to the size of my drawer. I then used clear packing tape to affix them to the front and back of the drawer. I also covered the cut edges (on the top and bottom of the divider) with packing tape to keep them from getting worn.

I’ve used these drawers for years and think they were worth every penny. My kids are 3, 4 & 6. Thanks to these simple drawers, they’re all able put away their own laundry and pull out the clothes they need. Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file downloads for the various colors of drawer labels below.

It breaks down the normal clean up into the most common tasks (make your bed, pick up toys, pick up books, etc.) The chart has two columns, To Do and Done. When we go in to the room, I have them pull off all the jobs (they’re velcroed on to a piece of laminated cardstock). Then we look at the room and figure out which of the jobs need to go in the To Do column and which can go in the Done column. They place the To Do jobs in the order that they think will be the easiest. Then they get to work. When they finish the first job, they move it to the done column and then move on to the next To Do. When their To Do list is empty, they come and get me for a final check.

It’s also really handy to use throughout the week. If I notice a big mess in their room, I’ll shift a couple of the jobs over to the To Do column. Whenever they want to do something special like earn TV time or computer time, I ask them if they’re To Do column is clear. If it’s not, they know just what to do to take care of it…without my interaction.

The best advantage of this chart is that my kids can now do this mostly on their own. They’ve figured out that if they can break a job down into tiny pieces, they can do a lot more without help. This chart just provides the tools they need to do just that…no nagging required. Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file downloads for this chart below.  Both the boy chart and the girl chart are included in the file.

Each day, one of the kids is the assigned to be the Busy Bee. They are the little decision maker for the day. They choose everything from what movie to watch at quiet time to who gets scrubbed in the tub first. When the kids are fighting, the busy bee gets to be the ref and decide who should win.

I know it sounds simplistic, but it has saved me from so many hassles. Now instead of running to me to solve problems, the kids try to work it out on their own. They know that I’ll just tell them to ask the busy bee. It’s been almost 18 months since I made this chart and it’s still one of my favorites. Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file download below.

On the back, I used to have a daily job board (make bed, brush teeth, etc.) However, now that the kids are in school much of the day, I think I’m going to change it to a money job board. I’ll post pictures of money jobs in columns of $ ($1 jobs, $5 jobs, $10 jobs, etc.). The back is also a handy place to stash the extra photos as well.  Just thought I’d pass it on.