Kid of the Day

My kids, sweet as they are, can fight over almost anything. Some arguments involve issues that need to be dealt with, but many of their arguments just plain waste time and energy. Maybe I'm a bad parent, but I really don't care who gets the coveted seat in the van or at the kitchen table. I can't keep track of who chose the last game or movie, or whose turn it is to invite a friend over. I get really annoyed when our unwelcome houseguest, Not Me, comes over for a visit and leaves everyone's stuff all over the place.

As I'm struggling to complete my tasks while simultaneously barking at my kids to quit fighting, I often wonder how the parents of yesteryear somehow managed to make their own food, clean their own homes, and also be successful parents. All of this without preschool programs, tv, or video games!
A few months ago, however, I ran across a fabulous magazine article that I almost didn't bother to read. It was called "Kid of the Day." I immediately thought, Oh yeah, I get it. Each kid gets a turn to pick everything. I could just imagine the fighting we'd have over trying to remember whose turn it was to actually be the kid of the day. No way. They already fight over enough things, thank you very much.

For some reason, though, I continued to read, and I'm so glad I did! Yes, implementing Kid of the Day means, first and foremost, that my kids take turns being Kid of the Day, and yes, the "Kid" that day gets to choose the game if we play one, gets first dibs on chairs at the table, gets to pick which swing they want on the swingset, etc. That alone has turned out to be huge. That alone has solved a ton of agruments. Instead of trying to remember who sat where the day before, or which neglected child hasn't gotten to pick out the tv show in days and days and days, the problem is always solved by asking, "Who's the Kid of the Day?" That kid then gets to pick.  They remember whose turn it is, too. Honestly, I have a hard time keeping track, but they don't, and it's a lot less complicated than trying to remember whose turn it is to do all of the things they take turns to do. It's just one thing to remember.

Now, here's the part I love (as if an automatic solution to 90% of the arguments isn't enough!). The Kid of the Day is also Mom's right hand kid that day. With great power comes great responsibility, right? If I need the table set, I call the Kid of the Day. If I'm making homemade muffins, the Kid of the Day gets to stir. Put all the dishes in the sink? That kid. Pick up the toys in the yard? Kid.


Don't get me wrong. I don't make my kids become "Slave of the Day," but it does help to know there's a certain kid who gets to help me with tasks if I need it. They all still have to do their normal chores and pick up their own stuff, but the Kid of the Day just gives me a little extra help.

The wording makes all the difference in the world. The Kid of the Day gets to help Mom, like it's a privilege. And, to be honest, because their day is full of privilege, they actually do see it as a privilege to help me out with a few things.


To help the mom and the dad in the family with remembering whose turn it is to be Kid of the Day (and to make the kids feel special), my husband, Dale, took pictures of each of them, glued the pictures onto cardstock and let the kids decorate it with stickers and markers. Then, he put magnets on the back. When it's their turn to be Kid of the Day, their picture gets displayed.

I don't know if you're in my boat, trying to accomplish a million tasks, many of which involve trying to give your family a healthier life, and find yourself tired of dealing with petty arguments on top of that, but if you do, perhaps you'd like to try implementing Kid of the Day. It's a great argument quencher and a way to get your kids to help you!