Right from the beginning I have tried to teach Isabelle some ‘helping’ fundamentals. For example, I ask that a toy be put away before another is brought out. (not saying this always works, but I do try) And hanging up her coat when she walks in the door (She used to just throw it on the floor) And as she gets older, I see the usual things that had always done, are not. Rather than remind or ask, I seem to always be preaching. As she is getting older, I see and hear a sassier side come out, “What do I look like, Cinderella?” 
Our Kids To Yours LLC is the creation of 2 moms who saw a need for more structure and education within the home. Their products resulted in fun and educational materials that assist in finding the balance between instilling good work values with praise and self pride in completing daily tasks. Thereby, turning he preaching and nagging into a more pleasant and rewarding experience.
I was sent The Do-N-Slide, a product that uses colorful pictures to display tasks which need to be completed. The ‘Help Around the house’ one was perfect for me. I am more busy with the twins these days (your not surprised are you). So I see some of Isabelle’s chores getting neglected more and more. And, because asking, begging, bargain, pleading and bribing didn’t work – I was eager to see if the Do-N-Slide would.
The kit came with the board (which is a strong, thick and durable cardboard), 20 pre-printed picture cards, the 7 days of the week cards and a plastic wallet to hold all the cards (Plus, you get your choice of the ‘Potty Training’ or the ‘Toddler’s day’ cards as well). The pre-printed cards range from helping around the house, pet care, yard care and helping to cook. I love that these cards are very versatile and could cover most of the tasks you would like to see, for any age. But just in case they are missing something you’d like included, there are blank cards and also some extra tasks printed on stickers. So, I like that you can customize it to your own personal schedule and need. The board can be placed on the table or counter top, and also has holes to hang it. But, I preferred to keep it at her level and not put holes in the wall. I stuck about 4 or 5 big sized sticker magnets to it, and it’s on the fridge. After all, all of her big accomplishments are hung on the fridge, why not this one too?
The design of the board is basic, yet does the trick. You slide the cards in, under the ‘to do’ side. And, once completed, slide them over to the ‘all done’ side. Each day, I go through them all with Isabelle, and she chooses which ones she wants to do. At first she wanted to pick ones like ‘brush teeth’, but I thought this was too simple for her. Brushing your teeth is just a rule in this house and I wanted something that went a bit beyond what she normally did. (But, for a kid who is just learning how to do this, The Do-N-Slide would be a great reminder) With a bit of urging, she picked 5 things that she didn’t usually do (that is, the ones that are a struggle for me to get her to try and do). I needed to help her put them into sequence, I wanted the top slot to be the first task she did. (You can’t wipe the table clean before you set it for dinner. OK – maybe sometimes you have to, but the key is to learn the usual sequence of daily life)
We have used the Do-N-Slide daily in this house since it came. I think it is a great learning tool to recognize and learn the routines that are apart of daily life. I found it to be easy to use and understand for kids. As well, they can easily pick their tasks and set up the board themselves. It was great motivation for her to get the tasks done and slide it to the ‘all done’ column. She loved getting them all completed. I liked that she did these things with the least resistance that I have seen in a long time. Ahh, it’s beautiful when it’s easy!
~ One reader will get their own Do-N-Slide
TO ENTER: Have a look at all the tasks included in the packs. What is missing that you’d like to see?
For Additional Entries do one or all of the following: (but leave a separate comment for each!)
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**Non-Bloggers: Of course you can enter too! Make sure you leave me your email address in your comment. And if you have a profile on Blogger, make sure it is set to PUBLIC. If I have no way to contact you, I will have to choose another winner.
Contest will end April 20/2009 at 9pm MST.
I will use random.org to choose the winner, contact them via email, and post the winning name here on My Organized Chaos. The winner will have 72 hrs to respond, or a new name will be drawn.
CONTEST OPEN TO CANADIAN & US RESIDENTS!!
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Good Luck!
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