One thing I have not mentioned that Richard used with the children when they were growing up is the Hardy bucks. There would be a list of chores and how much Hardy bucks they were worth and then they could exchange them for real money when the task was completed. It worked quite well as an incentive to be good workers and they all were, too.
Another thing I tried to use were these "Make a Mix" recipes. I would have small lidded bins of cookie, brownie, biscuit, etc type mixes with directions and the children could bake themselves very easily. There were also freezer mixes. I also had the idea of putting seven dinner recipes on several sheets and this is what I would use to shop with and then put the sheet on the refrigerator for that week and we would select our meals and cook for that. Then it would be easy for whoever was home to start the meal. Both of the girls were really helpful with getting the meals on. I was always trying to find a way to organize things. Even John liked to make certain things like Swedish pancakes and hot fudge sauce. Jimmy became very independent at an early age about providing food.
The slow cooker came to be really important and I would often make chili or spaghetti or chicken etc. before I left home in the morning or got too busy. I remember one day after school one of John's friends peering into the pot and commenting how good those beans looked.
That was another thing. Because Richard liked to visit his clients at home to sell them trust deeds or explain something he would usually do this after the main day of work was over and was seldom home for supper. So...we would often eat earlier whenever we were home and hungry rather than waiting till the traditional 6 pm with which I had grown up with as a child. Richard's food was left on a plate in the oven, covered and ready for him and it worked out well.
