The Radiance of Knowing

Looking at the world today, one realizes that the plight of human civilization is not something to be taken for granted. Poverty, famine and war are still prevalent; countless communities have been victimized by natural disasters, and the ones who suffer the most are the children. Only a few organizations are taking action to make a change; groups like the private non-profit Feed The Children.

For 30 years now, Feed The children has crossed borders and boundaries in giving less fortunate communities everyday necessities like food, clothing, medicine and other essentials to make sure that no child or family goes hungry. The organization seeks to find multiple ways to minimize poverty; it is dedicated to bringing hope to distressed children around the world so they will have brighter tomorrows.

Today, Feed The Children has aided countless families across the globe and continues in finding ways to secure a better life. With the recent economic recession in the United States, millions of American workers lost their jobs and became unemployed. The current economic situation is perhaps one of the worst that the country has experienced since the economic depression.

Feed the Children is working non-stop to help downtrodden communities while the government is busy finding ways to fix the crisis.

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For every season, check, check, check,
There is a chart, check, check, check,
And a chart can replace some of your nagging.
A chart for chores,
A chart for grades.
A chart for homework,
A chart for hygiene.
A chart for tracking tv.
A chart for everything….

I used to spend all of my seasons nagging. The song at our home used to sound like this:
“Ron, did you brush your teeth? Joe, is your snack in your bookbag? Mike, are your gymclothes ready? Ash, have you done your reading log? Ron, did you finish your math? Ron, did you vacuum the living room? Joe, did you do your social studies? Joe, is the trash at the street? Mike, did you clean the bathroom? Ash, are the dishes put away? Ron, did you brush your teeth…”

We had no time of silence and no time of peace. The constant sound of my voice annoyed ME, and I know it annoyed my kids. Multiply four kids, eight daily responsibilities, about three reminders per task, and I was averaging close to 100 nags per day. Since we posted the chart, I only have to ask, “Is your chart done?” Even on bad days, nagging is only a fraction of what it was before.

During school, we have chores for daily work and charts for weekend work. In the summer we have a chore chart and a very popular television spreadsheet. The boys make their own charts for homework and grades. I also have charts for me; keeping up with what is required of me is hard to remember.

Charts can be prepared on a spreadsheet or word document with chores and tasks written. Visual learners may benefit from charts generated using pictures. Whatever the method, charts can provide a tangible reminder that will make the difference between a task being completed, left hanging, or forgotten.

Give every season a chart, and you may discover that it will help you find more time, including a time to speak of something besides chores and homework!

We have an Excel spreadsheet with examples of different types of charts that I’d be happy to send you. Send an email to goaskmom AT goaskmom.com and request this free resource.

Kayla Fay is the publisher of “Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet?” and “24 Hour Science Projects”. She and her husband live in North Carolina with their four sons. Visit Kayla at http://www.goaskmom.com or http://www.24hourscienceprojects.com.

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