Responsibility Lids

I got the beginnings of the idea of responsibility lids from Linda and Richard Eyre about 3 years ago. They were featured on a BYU-tv show. I think it was called "Family Time's" But this was about 3 years ago, so this is a huge guess. They did these wonderful to the point lessons on how to teach your children a variety of values.


We were living in Scottsbluff Nebraska at the time and I was trying to figure out how I could help 3 little girls be more independent in their responsibilities.


I was watching the show as I was folding the laundry and the segment the Eyre's were doing that day happened to be about how to teach children to be responsible. They explained a system they did in their own home where each child had their own board and it had chains with a sort of tab with the task written on it.

Each chain represented a task they needed to do in the morning and evening. There was some kind of hook that when they completed the task they hooked it up and then in the evenings they took them off the hook, or vice-versa. They explained that this can eliminate the parents having to nag and all they needed to say to the child was something like "What chains do you have left?" This taught children the value of how to be responsible.

This was an answer to my prayer. I made the idea work with the resources I had. Because we had 3 young children at the time, I went through a lot of diaper cream, ketchup, syrup, shampoo, lotion and honey. So as I was trying to formulate in my mind what I could do with the resources I had I realized I can use the lids from all of these bottles.

My idea was I would write on the outside of the lid the task that needed to be done in the morning, and when they were done with the lid they opened it up(symbolic for opening our eyes and waking up) and then on the inside of the lid I would write the task that needed to be done at night and when they were done with it they closed it (symbolic for closing eyes and going to sleep) I know I am brilliant!

We had a leftover 2x6 board and I had enough board to get about 19 inches long for each of the 4 boards I wanted. We had some people staying with us at the time waiting for an adoption to go through and so I gave them the task to paint them for me. It was hard for them waiting for the adoption to go through and so I figured this could help them pass some time. It was a win win situation. I didn't really give them any kind of direction with design other than to make sure they looked cute. They turned out perfect for our needs.


Once they were done being painted. I wrote the different responsibilities that they needed to get done daily and then fastened with a screw the lid to the board. I love when my ideas come to fruition!

They became Christmas presents that year. Kady was only about 3 months at the time so hers had not been used until recently. I love their lids and I love how it helps them to take responsibility for what they need to get done.



It also helps reduce my nagging. Is there any Mother out there who likes to nag? Because for me I hate it! I get so annoyed with having to hear myself out loud repeating to little people who pretty much tune out the nagging. Well At least until "TIHOE" comes out. Then I get in a grouchy mood. So anything that helps to successfully reduce this behavior in me, is a keeper.









As the girls have gotten older I have added more lids. I would like to add for Lucy and Kady's a visual to the side of the lid of what the task is so that it will be easier for them. I just thought of that this last weekend. We will see how long it takes me to do that.



Also if a lid breaks I just replace it very easily from the stash I have. I would say from start to finish it would be a good 3 hour job. Because most of the items I used for this project I already had, the cost was roughly $3.00 for all 4 of them. Not bad!