(Originally posted in Feb. 2009)
This post is part of the Creating a Homekeeping Book series
If you’ve made a homekeeping book for yourself, maybe you’d like to make one for your daughter as well. Or maybe you don’t need a book at all but you’d like your daughter to make some new habits.
Getting Started
The first section in Coco’s book is a list of her chores.
I used a 1” binder with a clear view cover for Coco’s book. It is small, so it’s not intimidating, and she can decorate it, so it’s fun.
Instead of planning several weeks (like I do for myself), I give her just one sheet per day.
On this sheet, you’ll list any chores you want her to do that day.
Don’t forget her schedule when planning out chores. If she has regular lessons or sports, you may want to assign easier chores on those days.
Some things, like making her bed, may be on the list every day.
I put the sheets in plastic page protectors, and she can use a dry erase marker to check things off each day.
Here’s an example of a couple days out of Coco’s book: (All in her bedroom*)
Monday:
Tuesday:
*Coco helps out daily around the house, on an as-needed basis, but the chores in her homekeeping book focus on her bedroom. I want her to think of it as her own little home that she is responsible for. (Note: This was two years ago, when Coco was 12. She is now 14 and has added chores from around the house on her lists.)
Ideas for other sections in your book
Decorating ideas. Have her collect ideas for decorating out of magazines, etc. to make her room a home.
Cleaning directions. Either your own, or copied out of books and magazines.
Table Setting. Directions and ideas. Many cookbooks have diagrams, or you can find one online.
Fun Snacks. Many girls’ magazines, like American Girl and Family Fun, have fun snack ideas. She can collect them here in her book.
Menu plan. For an older girl, you can help her make a sample menu plan for the family.
Entertaining. Find ideas for parties and gatherings and file them here.
Hospitality. Here, she can store tips and verses on hospitality and can practice them when her friends visit.
Other how-to areas you might cover, depending on your household might be: Sewing, cooking, laundry, ironing, gardening, organizing, crafts, etc.
Later on this month, I’ll be sharing some printables for your daughter’s notebook. Please let me know if there’s any particular sheets you’d like to see.
turtlemomma says
OK this is my fave post so far. (Btw i get the the posts like a day late, this one hasnt come to my email yet)
I can really use this idea for check off’s and directions on how to do the bed or what have you for Melanice. She’s a little scatterbrained and even though you show her something a million times, she still can forget a step. Thats ok, thats just her! So by making her a binder like this she can function with her problem and even use it when she get older! Sweet. Thanks Angela!
I also love the ideas of them putting in their own ideas, decorations, stickers, what have you to make it more their own. Annnddd I love the idea to teach the kids that the room is like their own little home. Super!
Joy
Angela Mills says
yay! I hope it works for you! She sounds like me 🙂
Tammy says
This sounds like some great ideas. I’ve enjoyed your series. I’m constantly writing things like this down, and I end up throwing my lists, and menus away. I love the thought of just grabbing the correct grocery list without spending a great deal of time thinking and planning. Thanks for sharing.
Tammy
Christine @ Lily of the Valley says
I have heard of homemaking binders for mamas, and I use mine all the time. But this idea of making one with/for one’s daughter is terrific and so creative. My eight year old daughter, Lily, will adore this idea. Thanks so much!
Heather says
Great idea. I think my daughter would really like this!
Megan @ Faith Like Mustard says
As someone who relies on binders to do her own homemaking, I LOVE this idea. Why haven’t I thought of doing this for my daughters since it works so well for myself? Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca says
Neat idea! Thanks 🙂
Jamie (@va_grown) says
Such a great idea! I’m already imagining so many benefits from this–reading, writing, organizing…(my daughter’s only 6). Also gives me a great thought for how to “train” her in new things. Letting her pick what she’s like to try would encourage her to do it! Like letting her search for table diagrams with me and pick out which one she wants to use might make her excited about setting the table instead of grumbly.
Also makes me think of all the creativity I put into my own home notebook like birthday cake designs, centerpeices, and holiday theme menus. I’ve gotten much better about enjoying my housework because of the creative parts, but I haven’t been so good about sharing that with her–this will be a great way to open that door between us! Thanks for sharing!
Amy S. says
Is there a way you can show us a picture of your book? I am wanting to make 2 of these for 2 of my girls ages almost 12 and almost 9. Thanks!!
Jami @Intentionally Living says
What a sweet idea! I have a homemaking handbook and love the idea of sharing this with my daughters when I have them {Lord willing}! What a sweet idea and great way to teach them how to manage a home. Stopping by from Raising Homemakers Link up 🙂
Jami @Intentionally Living
Liberty says
This is a great idea for *boys* too!
blessings!
LIB
https://bit.ly/jiAvHM
wendy says
I love this idea! I think my daughter will love it too. Did you ever post the printables as mentioned in your post?
…”Later on this month, I’ll be sharing some printables for your daughter’s notebook.”
If so, please share. Thanks!
MKMama says
I agree…we need the printables, pllleeeease!! 🙂
Raven says
Ooh, I like some of these ideas for the binder, especially the idea gathering (e.g. decorating) and the “how to” items (e.g. setting a table). I think in the menu planning section, I’d probably include family recipes that have been passed down and shared, including those easy ones my child is most familiar with eating.
My best friend has been talking about doing something similar for her sons, although the book we’ve discussed making involves tutorial pages for housework as well as a lot of other good-to-know basics. We’ve been brainstorming things like, “How to Change a Tire”, “What to Do in an Emergency”, and “How to Clean the Dishwasher”, because homemaker or not, these things do come up in life, and the best homemakers are those who can handle any common situation life throws at them (and a few unusual ones, too). I’m hoping that together, we’ll cover a lot of bases with this binder idea for her sons and my daughter.
What else would you add along these lines?
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Denise says
I LOVE this idea! How young did you start teaching homemaking skills?
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