Teaching children to be more self-sufficient? Need suggestions

[ServingGod]

I need help. I need suggestions on how to help my dc be a little more self sufficient. They are 5, 3.5 and 19mo. That sounds so awful looking at what I just wrote. I am having some health issues, and some days I am pretty much couch bound due to extreme fatigue and pain. My dc pretty much want me to do everything for them. I leave fruit within reach for them, yogurt and cheese in the fridge, etc. But they still want me to get it for them. I feel like child servant woman, and somedays its just not realistic.
Basically...here are things I need advice on....
#1) dressing themselves
#2) age appropriate chores
#3) food they can make, obviously the baby cant
#4) toys....I used to have a system where all the toys were seperated and put into bins. Each day of the week went with a different toy...always a building toy, and then another. right now ALL the bins are out and the toys are EVERYWHERE. I like the creativity they have been having...but it makes such a huge mess. How can I set the toys up so that they can retain the creativity, but also be able to clean up themselves???
Thank you!

[MarynMunchkins]

My kids are about the same distance apart. :)

Are you going out during the day? TBH, if we're not going anywhere, I don't make an issue over getting dressed. Particularly for my princess nightgown obsessed dd ;) - it's just not worth it. When we do go out, I stress the *fun* aspect of going, and try to make sure there is something they will enjoy to help motivate them.

I hang outifts together on hangers, so it's easy to match. And buy things that coordinate pretty well anyway. :)

My kids have a couple chores - make their beds, unload the silverware, put dirty laundry in the hamper, pick up their toys, and gather trash into the big trash can. We have a sticker chart for them. That's enough to motivate them to do it. Although, Ana hates making her bed, so she just sleeps on top of the covers with a blanket. :giggle

Food isn't too difficult. I cut up fruit and veggies into bite size pieces the day I go grocery shopping, and stick them in the fridge. The Ziploc easy slide bags are easy for them to open and close on their own. String cheese, granola bars, tortilla chips, muffins, etc. are all easy and quick. Make a stack of pb&j with one whole loaf of bread, and refridgerate them all. Make sure they can reach plates and cups. Keep sippy cups full in the fridge.

Toys is the biggest for me, since I can't stand clutter. We found it worked best for us just to limit the amount of toys the kids had, period. When I tried to limit how much they got out, it was frustrating for everyone. Having lots of organization to keep it cleaned helped a bunch too.

:hug hth.

[Soliloquy]

Hmm, I'm interested to see what others will reply.

Could you give each child a tupperware with his/her name on it and fill it with their snacks for the day? Cut up fruit, cheese, etc. Each child is responsible for his/her own snack container. They could take turns being responsible for the baby's snack container.

Can you lay their clothes out the night before and let them run around in their jammies as long as they want?

I have no idea what to do about the toys. Maybe set a timer and every 60 minutes the play area has to be cleaned up, unless there's a major project going on?

I hope you get some good ideas from other posts.

Since you're not feeling well, is there a friend or someone from your church who could come over and help out?

[ServingGod]

it does help, thank you! We usually dont go anywhere...and they dont get dressed most days. :O In fact, whenever I do dress them, they ask where we are going, or who is coming over. :shifty But, it bugs me to see them running around in jammies or underwear. How do I organize the toys though??? I had them all sorted a few weeks ago....and now I need to again. I cant stand clutter either, I get too overwhelmed when there is clutter....like now. Should I sort them out according to sets? Playmobil, TRex mtn...etc. Or buy a large bin for each child to keep their own toys in...and then a community bin for blocks???But, my boys often share their toys....and I cant see that working. I just need to get my life going on an easier path. Dh is going to be working insane hours probably till January...I feel like we are just existing. I think cutting veggies up right away after shopping and making little containers for everyone will really help. I guess organization is key right now. My sil is going to start coming in a once or twice a week for a few hours to do fun stuff with the kids. While she is doing that I will be going to chiro appts, and maybe a yoga class, or fibro water exercise class.

[milkmommy]

I as a general rule wont do for my child what she can do for herself..
Clothes were umm working on this I buy clothes that can be pretty much mixed and matched and still look good together so that helps. I still help her dress but she does most on her own (has trouble with shoes socks)
Chores- DD follows me while I do housework and I invite her to join in I also ask her help in things like setting the table, taking clothes upstairs and I make her responsible for cleaning up her toys. At her young age I don't require chores we model and enjoy coperation when we get it.
food they can help make some healthy snack bags like with cackers cheese cut veggies fruit, make popcorn trail mix, do sandwiches help do mixes etc.. I ussually do a series at once because I don't need a toddler "cooking all day" ;)
Toys our new rule you can take out as many at once as you like but before meals bedtime or "class" they must be put up, if she has trouble then we reduce the number allowed at once, we find more than two big things (with lots of pieces) and its too much so we help her to limit herself and inforce it if needed.

Deanna