Don’t you love the ingenious problem solving which sometimes arises from spending all day with your family, home educating and needing to get the work done?

I initially purchased a set of regular $35.00 walkie-talkies for contact when the boys took forays into forest and field. They worked beautifully in this capacity this spring. The boys were one wood and two hayfields away, and I could hear them clear and strong on my walkie-talkie at home.

For us, the boys also found them useful for doing barn chores in winter. It was easy to communicate from house to barn with the entire house closed up. They could call a barn team member who might still be inside and ask him to bring a forgotten item, etc.

I have found another good use for them, with one of my children on the couch not feeling well: I have handed him a walkie-talkie and I have the other, so he can call me for anything he needs after I’ve finished ministering to him.

The fourth household use was somewhat comical, but breaks up the cabin fever in winter. I wrote about it on our Providence blog over the winter ("Technology Shift at Our House").

 ‘No longer do I have to stand at the top of the stairs and shout, "BOYS!" 

  Every morning we just turn on the walki-talkies and place one on each floor.

  It makes chore and organizational time so much more boy friendly:

  "Come-in, you down there, Genious?"

  "Yea, whatcha' want?"

  "I need someone to carry this laundry basket.  Tell Magnanimous to start the dishes, over."

  "Okay, I copy you; can we make popcorn, over?"

  "Roger that, just clean up when you're done, over."

  "Roger. Over-and-out."

  "Over-and-out."

 I seriously recommend this, especially if you have boys!  It makes managing the household so much fun that you hardly even notice the work you are doing!’

I hope some families who like this idea are able to use walkie-talkies to simplify a somewhat busy if not occasionally harried lifestyle.

Have a nice day!