Easy Chore Chart

You’ll Need

Make It

sticky notes (various colors), a large dry-erase board, black dry-erase marker, regular black marker, ruler, notebook (optional)

Use our simple template to create a fun, flexible chore chart to inspire your kids to help around the house!

1. At the top of the dry-erase board, use a black dry-erase marker and ruler to draw vertical lines for seven evenly spaced columns. Each column will represent one day of the week.

2. After creating columns, write the days of the week at the top.

3. If you have more than one child, designate a different color sticky note for each. If you have one child, designate a different color for each chore instead.

4. Using a regular black marker, write one chore per note that the child is responsible for during the week. For one child, tidying the room can be designated with purple, feeding the pet can be designated with green, etc.

5. Arrange the notes on the dry-erase board, placing them in the appropriate column under the day your child is to complete the chore.

6. When chores have been accomplished, remove the notes, but save them in a safe place (like a note-book) for later use. You can keep tabs to see which child has done the most chores during the week.

7. At the end of the week, place the notes back on the board in their appropriate places. When they don’t stick anymore or become lost, replace with new ones.

Please Your Picky EaterSmall swaps are key to ease your child into eating more nutritious food! Try this simple transition to tempt her taste buds.

The Usual Order - Chicken Nuggets, Rice, and Corn Calories: 575Saturated fat: 6gSodium: 606mg

Step it Up- Baked Chicken with RiceCalories: 520Saturated fat: 1.5gSodium: 395mg

Ingredients1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast2 eggs1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs2 cups frozen corn1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

Make It1. Heat oven to 425°F. Cut chicken breast into about 16 strips. Whisk together eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Dip chicken strips in egg mixture, then coat each piece with bread crumbs. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

2. Microwave corn, beans, and 3 Tbs. water, covered, on high for 2 minutes or until corn is tender; drain.

3. Mix together the rice.

Servings: 4 Prep: 15 minsBake: 425°F for 12 minsMicrowave: 2 mins

Please Your Picky EaterSmall swaps are key to ease your child into eating more nutritious food! Try this simple transition to tempt her taste buds.

Nutrition Superstar - Grilled Chicken with Brown RiceCalories: 364Saturated fat: <1gSodium: 394mg

Ingredients4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves1/2 cup chopped tomato1/2 cup corn1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained1 tablespoon fresh cilantro1 tablespoon lemon juice3 cups cooked brown rice

Make It1. Season chicken with some salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until done, turning once.

2. To make salsa, stir together tomato, corn, beans, cilantro, lemon juice, and a little salt.

3. Spoon salsa over chicken and put rice on the side.

Servings: 4 Prep: 15 minsGrill: 12 mins

Print & Go Shopping ListKeep these items on-hand to make prepping a fast fix dinner a breeze.

In the Freezer…• Boneless chicken breasts. Add to pasta, salads, and stir-fries.• Lean ground beef. Buy 90 percent lean.• Salmon and other low-mercury fish such as cod and tilapia.• Vegetarian chicken patties. One kid-friendly flavor is MorningStar Farms

Parmesan Ranch.• Frozen veggies. Besides the basics, pick up high-protein edamame.• Ground turkey. Look for extra lean.• Veggie burgers made from soy protein.• Frozen fruit (no sugar added) to eat from the bag or add to smoothies.

Print & Go Shopping ListKeep these items on-hand to make prepping a fast fix dinner a breeze.

In the Fridge…• Skim or 1 percent milk or fortified soy milk.• Fresh fruit. Keep at least one kind of fruit washed, cut, and stored in a clear

plastic container where your kids can see and grab it.• Hummus. Dip carrots in this chickpea spread.• Low-fat yogurt. Mix fresh fruit into vanilla or plain.• 100 percent fruit juice. Dilute it with water or seltzer. Try pre-diluted Wadda

Juice single-serve bottles or Mott’s for Tots boxes for car trips.• Bagged salad. Look for darker greens like baby spinach or a mix of multicol-

ored lettuces like mesclun or field greens.• Lunch meats like turkey and lean roast beef.• Tortillas. They’re a fun alternative to bread.• Fresh veggies. Buy your own to wash and chop. Or pick up prewashed, pre-

cut veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, snow peas, and celery to serve as a snack, toss into salads, or steam.

• Low-fat cheese. Stock reduced-fat block cheese such as Cracker Barrel 2 percent milk cheese, reduced-fat string cheese, Laughing Cow minis, and part-skim shredded cheese.

• Whole-grain crackers. Choose brands with at least 2 grams of fiber (and no trans fats) like Ryvita, Wasa, Kashi TLC 7-Grain, and low-sodium Triscuit.

• Whole-grain pasta such as high-fiber Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta or Barilla Plus, which has extra protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Reduced-fat salad dressing. Low-fat ranch makes a great dip.• Oatmeal. Choose whole oats or unflavored instant.• Whole-grain bread. Check labels for brands that have at least 2 grams of

fiber per slice.• Applesauce. Look for an unsweetened brand.• Dried or canned beans. Chickpeas, black beans, and fat-free refried beans

are rich in protein.• Whole wheat couscous cooks just as quickly as the regular kind.• Brown rice. A great source of whole grains.• Sweet potatoes have lots of vitamin A.• Whole-grain breakfast cereal. Aim for at least 3 grams of fiber. Ones to try:

Raisin Bran, Multi-Bran Chex, or Kashi Heart-to-Heart or Mighty Bites.• Nuts and seeds. Go for almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.• Salsa. A zesty way to sneak in more veggies.• Canned fruit that’s packed in juice.• Jarred pasta sauce. Add extra veggies like shredded zucchini.• Dried fruit. A half-cup counts as a serving of fruit.• Salmon and light tuna for salads and sandwiches.• Peanut butter or other nut butters.

In the Pantry…

Tame a Tantrum—No Yelling Required!Use these strategies to set age-appropriate limits for your child when she’s acting up.

DistractingBest age: Birth to 15 months How to: Replace a forbidden object or activity with a more appropriate one.Why it works: You’re not just talking something away, which leaves a void. Plus, kids have such a short attention span at this age that they won’t remember what they were distracted from.Why it may not: If your baby is hungry or tired, he won’t stop fussing no matter what.

IgnoringBest age: Birth to 3 years How to: Don’t respond or react to your child’s behavior.Why it works: Babies often don’t know they’re doing something harmless but annoying, and will eventually stop on their own if you let the

behavior pass. Toddlers whine and say bad words to get a parent’s attention. If you respond, you reinforce the behavior. If you ignore it, it will likely go away.Why it may not: Some children are persistent, regardless of your non-reaction.

ModelingBest age: 12 months and upHow to: Help a child do something more appropriate with a forbidden object. If your son is shoveling a bunch of rocks into his mouth, show him how to drop them into a bucket instead.Why it works: It shows a kid what to do, rather than what not to do; kids respond well to this positive spin.Why it may not: If your child is very stubborn, you may just have to remove him or the rocks.

Time-OutBest age: Toddler and upHow to: Tell the child that he needs a few minutes to calm down; follow up with a talk about what happened.Why it works: It stops the problem and gives everyone a minute to regroup.Why it may not: Some experts feel that a time-out is more of a punishment than a learning experience.

Relax Guilt-FreeKids always come first? Treat yourself with one of these activities today.

1. Take Ten. A 10-minute break of any kind—whether it’s to strike a yoga pose or simply sit quietly—can be just what you need to help you get through your crazy busy days.

2. Find Time for Sleep. As hard as this may be to achieve, aim to get at least seven hours of sleep a night. After all, sleep loss often results in irritability, impatience, and an inability to concentrate— qualities that are less-than-helpful for a busy parent.

3. Plan a Fun Night Out. Friendships and other social interactions have long been shown to be good for your health. So don’t let too much time go by without seeing your BFFs.

4. Learn to Relax at Home. Allow yourself a couple of hours to com-pletely unplug. Draw a lavender aromatherapy bath, write in your journal, sip tea, read an inspirational book, daydream, or do what-ever helps you reconnect with who you are and what you want out of life.

5. Go Ahead and Eat That Chocolate. A recent Swedish study, con-ducted over a nine-year-period, showed that women who ate one to two servings of dark chocolate per week had a 30 percent reduction in developing heart disease.

6. Tap into Nature. Just stopping by a park or open space for a short 10 minutes will do wonders for your mood (sneak it in on your way home from work or after dropping off the kids). Research shows that spending time in nature, or watching it, really does help us handle stress and rejuvenate.

7. Dance Away the Stress. Sign up for a salsa lesson, opt for belly dancing, ballroom, or tango—or just hit the dance floor at your favorite club or in your living room! It will get your heart pumping and, in the process, reduce the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure—not to mention releasing feel-good endorphins.

8. Catch a Matinee. It’s not a luxury; it’s good for your relationship—and your health. And if that movie is a comedy that makes you laugh out loud? All the better: Research shows that laughing lowers stress and cholesterol. That’s not funny!

Entertain the Rainy Day CrowdWhen the kids can’t play outside, we turn to fun crafts and projects. Why not make them educational while we’re at it?

Hover BalloonsMaterialsSmooth surface (like a table) 1 balloon (uninflated) 1 water bottle sport-top old CD or DVD Glue Duct tape

The MethodGlue the bottom of the sport-top over the hole in the CD; let dry. Seal the bottle top’s base with duct tape, covering the glued area so air can’t escape. Stretch the balloon over the spout. With the sport-top open, inflate the balloon by blowing into it through the hole in the CD. Then click the top shut so the bal-loon stays inflated. Set your creation on a table and gently pull the sport-top open. The air coming out of the balloon will lift your craft; give it a push to send it zipping across the room. Next try pushing the hov-ercraft while it’s deflated. Notice that it moves more slowly.

The LessonThe inflated balloon wants to shrink back to its natu-ral shape; since it isn’t sealed, it pushes air out of the hole in the CD. The force of air escaping lifts the CD, so it hovers above the table, says David Epley, aka Doktor Kaboom!, star and creator of the science DVD Try This at Home. It’s a simple lesson about friction. Why does the craft move faster when the balloon is inflated? “Putting the air between the CD and the table keeps them from rubbing against each other, which slows things down.”

Entertain the Rainy Day CrowdWhen the kids can’t play outside, we turn to fun crafts and projects. Why not make them educational while we’re at it?

Ice-Cream ScreamMaterials2 cups ice 1 cup half-and-half 3/4 cup salt (coarse salts like rock and kosher work best) 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1 gallon-size and 1 quart-size zip-top freezer bag The MethodPlace ice and salt in the large bag. In the small bag, mix the other ingredients. Squeeze out air; seal. Place the small bag inside the big bag. Seal; shake and knead the bag for ten minutes, until the cream thickens. Remove the small bag, rinse, then open and eat the results.

The LessonLiquid becomes more solid when its temperature drops. Why? Its molecules slow down and stick together. If they get cold enough and slow enough, they freeze. Here, the ice is colder than the cream and sugar, so it lowers the temperature of the mix-ture. Adding salt to the ice lowers the temperature even more, so it freezes into ice cream. Why does salt make ice colder? While you’re holding the bags, the ice absorbs heat energy from the cream and your hands, so it melts. “Then the water molecules use the energy to freeze again. The salt gets in the way, making them work harder, absorbing and using energy faster,” Epley says. This causes the ice and salt to grow colder than plain ice, which helps the cream freeze.

Entertain the Rainy Day CrowdWhen the kids can’t play outside, we turn to fun crafts and projects. Why not make them educational while we’re at it?

Leakproof HolesMaterialsWater 1 zip-top sandwich bag 1 or more sharp pencils

The MethodFill the bag halfway with water; seal it. Hold it at arm’s length and help your child poke a sharp pencil through the bag (below the waterline) and out the other side without removing it. The bag won’t leak. With the pencil in place, add another. Still, you’ll see no drips!

The LessonWater molecules need empty airspace in order to flow. Though you’re creating holes with the pencil, as long as it’s in place it plugs the hole so water can’t escape. Of course, you can’t plug just anything with a pencil. This experiment highlights some of the properties of common plastics. “It works because the plastic is formed of polymers, molecules strung in long repeating chains,” Connolly explains. “The chains stretch to allow the pencil through, then tight-en around it, as a turtleneck tightens once it’s over your head.” Still, if you pull the pencils out, the holes will remain; do it over a sink and see what happens.