I found a fantastic book when I was roaming a local bookstore. What's funny - I wasn't even looking for this book. I was looking on books about pre-teen daughters and what you should be talking to them about....(I was feeling very in adequate in this area - and a little shell shocked that my baby is going to be a pre-teen).

When I found "If I'm Diapering the Watermelon, then Where'd I Leave the Baby? Help for the Highly Distractible Mom"  by Carol Barnier, it was by accident. The title made me laugh so I bought the book. The next book I hope comes out should be something like: "Help for the impulse book-buyer."  

Anyway - if you are highly distractible - I recommend the book.

One of the nuggets I've gotten out of the book is the Dial-a-Child for  laundry folding duty in her house.  We used to assign laundry duty to a child every day. Which ever child had laundry duty - the other had dishwasher duty. But like the book points out - some days you only do one load of dishes and 12 loads of laundry.

I thought her idea was brilliant. So I borrowed it. Here's how Carol describes it: "It's a simple reminder with a moveable arrow that points to whichever child is up next for folding duty. Now when the laudnry buzzer goes off, I check to see which child is up next and call that cihld in. When the child has folded the laundry, he or she flips the dial. If the dial doesn't get flipped, guess what? The same child has to do the next load."

Like I said, I borrowed her idea. I don't make the kids fold the laundry - yet. But they unload the dryer and transport it to where-ever I need it to be for folding. (I think sorting may come next.)

As you can see - I left room for my other 2 kids. and  I let Mini-Me and G pick out their "Symbols" for their name... They loved having input in that. And they love the dial! It has been a good thing.

I'm so glad I stumbled upon that book.

So - What tip do you have that you love?