Our four year old daughter has always been a pretty good listener, but as she gets older, she has definitely wanted more autonomy. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you can relate! It is probably getting harder to get your preschooler to complete certain tasks just by asking them. I understand, because our preschooler is the same way. To combat this, I decided to make a two checklists for her. I based them on things we wanted her to focus on each morning and evening. The best part is you can customize these checklists for your child! Choose what tasks you struggle with and add them to the checklist!
Ok, you’re skeptical?
You might be thinking…”right, but will my child actually complete these two checklists?” Well, recently I found @chelseaexplains on Instagram. If you’re familiar, you know that her posts encourage parents to consider new ways to interact with their children. If you haven’t seen her content yet, I highly recommend checking out her page! She has me thinking about challenging parenting moments in a new way! I’ve been trying to be more creative in the ways I frame things or ask my kids to do tasks.
For example, lately, my daughter enjoys fairies, princesses, etc. So, when I printed my laminated checklists at OfficeMax, I told her fairies left these two checklists for her. She loved it…and so far, she always wants to complete her checklists. I think it’s been good for everyone in the family. Less arguing and bargaining to get out the door in the morning, and sometimes the evening tasks are complete before we even ask about them!
Just give it a shot! You have nothing to lose!
We are about 3 weeks in, so I’ll have to keep you posted on how sustainable the method is long term. So far, as a full time working mom, having something to point to has been super helpful! It helps that she doesn’t necessarily think the two checklists are from her parents, but we do not constantly refer to them as “fairy checklists” either. I wish I made these sooner, and I bet you will wish you had something like this sooner too!
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect! Sometimes when I’m tired (or just lazy) after a long work day, I may not ask about her progress and we might not complete every task. Good news though! If we ask, she usually responds along the lines of “oops! I better do those things” or “oh, silly me!”. Your child may surprise you! Sometimes she reminds us that WE forgot the tasks.
Long story short, since we started with these, it has never been a battle which I’m sure you can imagine is very refreshing!
Now, let’s get into the checklists so you can start with your kids!
Morning Routine Checklist
I created the Morning Routine checklist below first. Mornings are tricky because none of us are natural early risers so this has helped her understand what is expected each day! I will link the editable template for you. If you’d like me to add a page with various images or designs you can copy and paste to fit your needs, please let me know in the comments! This is the first template I’ve made, so I’m still getting the hang of things!
Evening Routine Checklist
I created the evening checklist second. Our evenings are pretty relaxed, but as our family grows and becomes busier, this helps our oldest know what to do every night…even if mom and dad may be busy helping one of her brothers. This checklist should be based on your family’s needs and priorities. Substitute any of these tasks with something that fits your life!
For both of the checklists, I printed them at OfficeMax’s Print Center selecting “Copies”, upgraded to 28lb paper so it would be a bit thicker, and opted to have them laminated. Lamination is key if you want these checklists to last! I also purchased small velcro dots for each task. I bought these in store at OfficeMax, when I picked up the prints, but the Amazon ones linked are cheaper and you get more!
Once you have your checklists printed, you can finish them up! I recommend folding along the center line before you cut the individual “flap” for each task. I cut them first and I felt like my folds were less uniform than I would have liked, so that’s my tip for you! Once they are cut, attach a velcro piece to the top and bottom of each task. When the task is completed, your child can flip the flap up and the velcro keeps it in place. Another win since kids seem to have fun with velcro!
The Habit Tracker
Lastly, I made one stoplight chart (a habit tracker!) that includes both checklists. This is for my husband and I to track her progress. At the end of the week, depending how many greens she got, she will get some type of incentive.
You can choose how to incentivize your child with whatever works for them! Our daughter loves saving money in her piggy and dinosaur banks right now, so we give her a very small allowance as a “pat on the back”. I know some people might say, “you shouldn’t pay your kids for every day tasks”, but for now, we are hoping to instill sound habit stacking! As she does bigger chores for the family this will likely change.
That being said, pick whatever process or incentive works for you and your preschooler! Maybe it’s an extra 10 minutes at the park, a special treat at the grocery store, or some other small acknowledgment to encourage them to keep it up! For us, the spare change/small allowance incentive works for now.
This post was all about checklists for your preschooler.
