Looking for Age Appropriate Chore Ideas for Your Kids? Check These Ideas Out!

Getting kids involved in the everyday cleaning of a home can be hard. Knowing what chores are age appropriate can also be hard. We found this article with information on why giving your kids chores are important as well as what chores are appropriate for each age group. We hope it helps in teaching your children to be contributing members of your household and that your house stays cleaner!

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From the article:

The Value of Chores for Children
Parenting expert Jim Fay, co-founder of the Love and Logic website, says we all need to feel needed and to know that we’re making a contribution — even kids. “But they can’t feel that way if they don’t have chores and make contributions to the family,” Fay says.

Roger W. McIntire, University of Maryland psychology professor and author of Raising Good Kids in Tough Times, says, “A child has to have some responsibilities.”

Chores for children ages 4 to 5

  • Any of the above chores, plus:
  • Make their bed
  • Empty wastebaskets
  • Bring in mail or newspaper
  • Clear table
  • Pull weeds, if you have a garden
  • Use hand-held vacuum to pick up crumbs
  • Water flowers
  • Unload utensils from dishwasher
  • Wash plastic dishes at sink
  • Fix bowl of cereal

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Looking for information on after school snacks? Then checkout this article about after school snacks that could be of interest to you.
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For all the ideas click here: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children

Looking to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten? Checkout These Ways!

As a parent we want to do everything we can in order to help our children succeed. Making the transition into kindergarten might be one of the hardest things that a child does. Knowing ways to prepare them is very helpful and that’s why we wanted to share this article with you. We hope it will help you and your child better prepare for kindergarten.

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From the article:

Let???s face it: Kindergarten isn???t what it used to be. Right or wrong, it is the world we live in. The following list is intended to help prepare your child in a variety of developmental areas to make the transition into kindergarten as smooth as possible. Believe it or not, just 15-20 minutes of playing and learning with your child can make a world of difference!

Social/Emotional Development

  • Encourage your child to persist in tasks when encountering a problem by giving him tasks slightly above his current ability level. When your child cannot find a??solution on his own, encourage him to calmly ask for help.
  • Play board games to practice taking turns.
  • Set up several play dates with friends of various ages

Physical Development (Gross & Fine Motor)

  • Give your child plenty of opportunities for outdoor play: running, jumping, and climbing.
  • Play catch on a regular basis.
  • Practice skipping.
  • Stack blocks together

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Looking for chore ideas for your kids? Checkout this article on chore ideas for kids that could be of interest to you.
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For all the ways click here: http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/06/33-ways-to-prepare-your-child-for-kindergarten/

Replace Old Rubber Hoses on Your Washer

p_9980It is important to maintain your laundry room but it can be difficult to know exactly what to do in order to maintain the appliances in your laundry room.

We found this article that lists exactly what should be done in order to avoid any damage to your machines and to your home.

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From the article:

Burst washing machine hoses have to be one of the most common causes of catastrophic water damage in homes. When I find rubber hoses used to connect the washing machine, I often mention to my clients that it’s a good idea to replace them. It’s downright disturbing how often my client then goes on to share a story with me about how they already had a flooded house or knew someone who’s house flooded because of a failed washing machine hose.

As rubber ages, it loses it’s flexibility. After being subjected to water hammer over and over for many years, the rubber washing machine hose is eventually going to fail, and it’s going to be one heck of a mess. Here are a few suggestions to lower the risk of your washing machine hoses suddenly bursting.

Turn off the water supply when not in use
Washing machine manufacturers actually tell you to do this in their installation instructions.

Replace your old rubber hoses regularly
I???ve heard that a good rule of thumb is to replace rubber washing machine hoses every five years. That sounds good, but how do you remember? Another tip I???ve heard is to replace your washing machine hoses every leap year. Not a bad idea.

Install an emergency shutoff kit
You can purchase an emergency shutoff kit, such as the type sold by Floodstop, which will almost surely prevent any type of catastrophic leak. These devices come with a water sensor, so if a leak is detected, an alarm goes off and the water supply valves automatically close. These kits are battery powered, and according to the web site, can be installed in about 10 minutes. Not a bad idea.

Install stainless steel braided hoses
This is the simple advice that I usually give during home inspections. Stainless steel braided hoses are much more resistant to bursting, and they???re fairly inexpensive.

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Still have questions about caring for your dryer? Checkout this article about troubleshooting your dryer for homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.structuretech1.com/2012/07/rubber-washing-machine-hoses/