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One way to reduce the amount of stress involved in getting children to do their chores is to organize an effective chore schedule. By assigning an appropriate number and type of chores to your child you increase the chance that he will complete the housework you want him to with a minimum of fuss and tears.

Instructions

1) Identify age-appropriate chores your child can complete. 2- to 3-year-olds can make their own beds, pick up their toys and put dirty clothes in their hampers. 4- to 5-year-olds can help set the table, help clear the table and give a pet food and water. Younger school-age children can vacuum, empty the dishwasher, take out the trash and help with the laundry. Teenagers can clean bathrooms, mow the lawn and prepare meals.

2) Determine which chores your child should complete every day or week. Select chores for your child based on her ability and interests. Decide whether she should be responsible for the same chores all the time or whether she should trade jobs with another family member periodically. Ask for her input into the chores she will be responsible for. If you assign her a chore she hates and expect her to always do it, it will be harder to get her to complete her chores than if you either alternate chores or give her a regular job to do that she enjoys.

3) Design a chart with your child's chore schedule. Draw eight columns on a piece of paper or sheet of poster board with a ruler and pen or marker. Write the chores you want your child to complete in the far left column. Write a day of the week in the top row of the other seven columns. Draw a line under each chore, extending through all eight columns, to create boxes your child can mark off when he completes a chore.

4) Post the chore schedule you have created in a central location -- such as the refrigerator -- to remind your child of the chores she needs to complete. Have her mark off the chores as she finishes them to give her a sense of accomplishment.

Things You'll Need

Paper or poster board
Ruler
Pen or marker

Tips & Warnings

•    Don't assign so many chores your child becomes stressed out and overwhelmed. Keep in mind the amount of homework he has to complete and extracurricular activities when deciding how many daily chores you expect. Make sure he has some free time to relax and wind down.

Article by By Michelle Johnson, Courtesy of eHow.

Even though the theme could change a lot, they all shared one thing: Costumes. Throwing a costume party offer a fun opportunity for guests to dress up in elaborate costumes and 'hide' their identities. Anyway, it's fun but not as easy as a regular party. Organizing will take time, creativity efforts and a greater deal of planning. Here some ideas to help you surprise everybody!

1.

Determine the size of the party. If you are planning a huge affair, you need to begin planning at least six to nine months in advance. If you are hosting a small masquerade ball, give yourself at least four months to get everything organized. Put together a guest list immediately.

2.

Organize your budget, breaking down the elements for your party. It should include big costs such as venue, food, entertainment and decorations. Be realistic as your organize your finances. If you are throwing the party with friends, include them in the budgeting process and the planning.

3.

Examine your budget sheet. Do price comparisons by calling venues, caterers, musicians and local stores. Adjust your budget according to the price evaluations. If you want to save costs, enlist your friends and family to help out with decorating, cooking or other tasks. Consider a pot luck. If you have five friends and they all bring two platters of appetizers, you don't need a caterer. The party can be at a friend's house or backyard, sparing you the expense of renting a venue.

4.

Pick a theme. Common themes include Mardi Gras, gothic, Halloween, Carnival, Vampires and the Renaissance. Once you select the theme, incorporate it into other elements of the party. For example, if you are doing a Mardi Gras theme, serve Cajun food. Offer appetizers and champagne for a Renaissance party.

5.

Book a venue and caterer immediately. You'll need to lock in these elements six months in advance of a big party, four months in advance for a smaller function. Provide the caterer with the number of guests you are expecting so he can give you a cost estimate and finalize menu ideas.

6.

Send out invitations two months in advance. You can purchase them, make them yourself or send them by email. Tell your guests what kinds of costumes to wear. Do not send the invites at the last minute. Guests need time to put together costumes and find masks.

7.

Research local bands and DJs in your area. If you are looking to save money, contact your local high school and speak to the band teacher. Ask if she knows any talented student musicians willing to work at a lower cost. Make sure you hear the students play before hiring them.

8.

Write up a contract for the band or DJ. The contract will protect both of you in case there's a time conflict or money issue.

Note: Planning these types of parties can be stressful. If you have a large, dependable group of friends designate groups to take care of elements such as decorating, food and music. Just make sure that everyone understand the vision and the budget.

Article by Tina Cisneros, Courtesy of eHow

Successful time management starts by being honest with yourself and setting realistic expectations. The well-organized week hinges on good time management. Here some basic suggestions that may help you:

1.

Make a list of priorities for the week on a separate sheet of paper that is categorized by subtitles, such as work, family, personal. Anyway, paper stuill works but it's kind of 'too old school'. Organize your life in present times is  easier than ever before. Take advantage of the nice features in phones or tablets, desktop apps like iCal, mail based services like Google Calendar or one of many great web-based services like Mind42, RememberTheMilk, Plaxo or RescueTime. You will maybe have to spend a few hours learning and getting used to the systems, but you will save a lot more time in the future ...and probably will become more efficient too.

2.

If you prefer the paper, mark the items on your list with the 'highlighter pen' selected for the things that need to be done on a daily basis. In your electronic/web-based app, change the font color or the background color, to denote daily task.
 Anyway, even the most simple time-managment tool or e-calendar will be full of features way beyond color marking. Just try some and you'll see...

3.

Organize your life and their items in subcategories like 'work', 'family', 'social life', etc in their order of importance.The tasks lists inside subcategories should start by the most important task to complete and the last number on the list should be the least important task to complete. Finish by numbering the personal and family subcategories the same way.

4.

In your lists, take the top three priority items from each subcategory that are also highlighted as daily tasks and or pencil them in your calendar in their consecutive days. In your e-calendar or app, choose "new event" and enter the priority items on their dates, setting notifications for any item that needs one.

5.

Record or enter the remaining top three to five priority items from each of the three subcategories on the days they need to be done.

6.

Evaluate the tasks scheduled for each day to ensure that you haven't over-scheduled a day or your week. If you have time left over and can add in additional items on certain days or even as a low-priority daily task, consider adding in what makes sense. Remember to prioritize some downtime for yourself each day.

7.

Add two or three "flexible" tasks at the bottom of each day just in case you have extra time one day and want to take on something you normally wouldn't be able to get to. Having a go-to list of flexible additional tasks will save you time, keep your priority tasks on target and prevent indecision on what other tasks you might have time to accomplish.

8.

Keep your priority list of tasks and refer to it at the end of your week to make the next week's priority task schedule. In your electronic calendar, you can simply drag the events that reoccur the next week into the following week on their correct day.

Tips & Warnings

•    An over-scheduled week is as much a recipe for disaster as the unscheduled week. Be realistic about the amount of time each task requires and don't forget to prioritize personal time. To stay on task and keep your energy level high for each task, it's important to schedule time in your week for taking care of yourself. Physical exercise, healthy eating habits and free time with friends and family should be given priority on your list. Evaluate how well you've allotted yourself down-time during the week and make adjustments where you see needs. Using your selected tool with "notifications" to remind you of personal wellness tasks can help make them a priority.
•    For any schedule to work well, you must be prepared for changes. Carry some form of your weekly schedule with you, whether it's electronic, or in a small notebook/planner and use a pencil to facilitate changes. Be prepared to make adjustments to your schedule during the week by referencing your schedule nightly. Having an organized schedule for the week can not benefit you if you don't refer to it, make adjustments to it and then stick to it.

Article writen by Kimberli Nalven, courtesy of eHow, a place where knowledge is awesome!