https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:45:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775831 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:09:20 +0000 josina 2775831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with ElbieKay, I think the easiest thing to do would be to assign chores/days, that way it doesn't matter who made the mess, one of them is responsible for cleaning it regardless. Alternate days, or alternate chores - (one does the dishes/counters, one sweeps the floors).</p> <p>My stepdaughter's chores for the last 6 years (she's 14) have been putting the dishes away and sweeping the floor when she gets home from school. She also helps wash dishes/clean up after supper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775740 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 20:11:08 +0000 maddyz 2775740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Somehow my mom could always tell who left the mess. I have no idea how. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775738 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 20:06:23 +0000 ElbieKay 2775738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Assign them days when they are individually responsible for the state of the kitchen before they leave for school. Whoever's responsible for that day gets a carrot/stick. Rotate days. They can either hold each other accountable or take turns doing the dishes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775649 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:29:48 +0000 erinbaderin 2775649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you get them each their own identifiable plate/cutlery (maybe from the dollar store) and tell them they have to use that? Although I don't really know how you'd enforce that if you weren't around - you'd have to take away all the regular plates. </p> <p>Or maybe make the consequences more drastic so there's more incentive to not suffer the repercussions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775634 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 12:30:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2775634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would assign specific tasks. It doesn't have to be the same tasks each time, but in the moment I would say you're in charge of putting the bread and PB and jelly back, you are in charge of putting the plate and knife in the sink. Each person can make their own sandwich and each person clears their own plate after eating. It would be very kind if you helped each other out with these tasks (for example, maybe one of you could offer to take the other's plate too), but at the very least you must complete your own tasks. </p> <p>Something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775626 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 12:05:14 +0000 Mamaof2 2775626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ae2: This happens all the time with my 6 and 9 yr old.</p> <p>When both are blaming the other they have to sit on the step until they decide who needs to clean the mess/ pickup the dishes/ put away the toys, etc.</p> <p>Eventually one of them just says "Fine I'll do it" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/siblings-wont-own-up#post-2775625 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 11:56:40 +0000 ae2 2775625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please help!</p> <p>My kids are a bit older, but this problem applies to younger kids too I imagine, and I haven't been able to find any advice in parenting books/online.</p> <p>My oldest is good about cleaning up after himself in the morning (breakfast, lunch-making), but the younger two (10 and 8) always leave a huge mess for me to clean up. I know they're capable of washing their own dishes and putting away the lunch making supplies, because they do it if I'm standing over them. But now that I have a new baby and am usually nursing in the morning it's harder to be there at the exact moment, plus I hate nagging.</p> <p>I have tried setting a consequence for leaving a mess, but the problem is, they both blame each other. They both regularly make messes so it really could be either of them, or sometimes both. They've realized that if they blame each other, poor Mom gets stuck cleaning up the mess.</p> <p>I've tried giving consequences to both of them if neither owns up, but that just encourages them not to do it in the first place. Each kid assumes the other won't clean up, and doesn't want to clean up AND get consequences, so neither of them bother. And my goal is to get them to actually wash their darn peanut-buttery knives and plates, not to punish them, so that doesn't feel good to me.</p> <p>What do you all do when you can't figure out which sibling to hold accountable for something? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767653 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:33:49 +0000 .twist. 767653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: haha it kind of worked out perfectly that this is the year I finally felt organized and their ages are actual lego sizes! hahaha AND, if my party turns out you're welcome to steal ideas from my pics! :D </p> <p>@Mrs. Pen: Did you mind sharing a party? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767650 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:32:03 +0000 runsyellowlites 767650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: G's party isn't until Aug so it'll be awhile before I get pictures. lol. I think just doing "Lego" for them will be great! And I love the idea of getting their cakes as piece sizes in their "age"! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767644 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:30:38 +0000 Mrs. Pen 767644@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my brother and I have birthdays 11 days apart and we always had to share parties until I was older and had my sleepovers with girlfriends haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767602 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:15:31 +0000 .twist. 767602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: I loved your batman lego theme party!!! The invites were amazing and I can't wait to see pics. </p> <p>Both boys love lego so much but they both love different themes. (Eldest loves Star Wars and Youngest loves car/construction/trucks/etc). So I figured just a generic lego theme would work best! I love the idea of the lego game and may do it! Just need to figure out if there will be enough kids old enough to guess the # of legos. Some are pretty young. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767598 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:12:11 +0000 Freckles 767598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: LOVE!!! I may do a lego theme when LO is 3. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767596 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:11:47 +0000 runsyellowlites 767596@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: Love everything!!!! I always use powerpoint to make inspiration boards (just insert image, resize, and save as a jpeg).</p> <p>We're having a lego batman party for G this year &amp; I pinned this as a fun "game", well kind of game.</p> <p>Guess the number of pieces! (of course you could leave the bat off)</p> <p>[attach=1400/13/mmhp3n.400x600.lego-guess-the-number.jpg] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767580 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:05:24 +0000 .twist. 767580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks a bunch ladies. </p> <p>@Freckles: I think it would make him feel better. Especially because we have a lot of little cousins that would be invited. So there would be lots of kids. :) </p> <p>I have no idea how to make an inspiration board, but these are some of my theme idea's:</p> <p>[attach=1438/13/mmhot0.320x213.lego-table.gifts.jpg]</p> <p>[attach=1438/13/mmhot2.300x400.legocutlery.jpg]</p> <p>[attach=1438/13/mmhot3.300x400.legoinvites.jpg] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767571 Wed, 08 May 2013 12:02:16 +0000 Ra 767571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: I like the lego idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767568 Wed, 08 May 2013 11:58:57 +0000 Freckles 767568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a joint birthday party would work. Two cakes would definitely make each boy feel special, and a larger party may make the older one feel better?</p> <p>The lego piece idea is great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767560 Wed, 08 May 2013 11:52:46 +0000 .twist. 767560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rahlyrah: @runsyellowlites: Thanks!! It's good to know this has worked and I will keep in mind the one friend thing because I really like that idea (unfortunately, as I mentioned above, our eldest sadly hasn't made any friends in school, which is so heartbreaking. So at the moment this won't work). I actually thought about the separate cake idea and with the theme I chose for them, Lego, I thought it would be cool to make one cake a 6 piece of Lego and the other a 9 piece of Lego. Would that be cool?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767555 Wed, 08 May 2013 11:48:43 +0000 runsyellowlites 767555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was younger my sister &amp; I always had joint parties and it was fine! (we're a week apart in May). Once I got older (around 9) we stopped having party &amp; were able to take 1 friend with us to the theme park of our choice (Six Flag, Schlitterbahn, etc).</p> <p>I would do it &amp; see if maybe there is a theme that they both like? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767552 Wed, 08 May 2013 11:48:00 +0000 Ra 767552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister does joint parties for my nephews (March 25th and April 2nd). They are four years apart and so far there haven't been any issues. The one thing she always does is get separate cakes for each boy in a theme that they like. This year my oldest nephew had a Redskins cake (he is 7) and my youngest had a Spiderman cake (he is 3). That little detail helps recognize each boy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/joint-birthday-parties#post-767538 Wed, 08 May 2013 11:42:03 +0000 .twist. 767538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Has anyone here done a joint birthday party for their kids? </p> <p>Our boys birthdays are a day apart in May and it just seems like a lot of work to do two birthday parties for them. Especially because our eldest doesn't exactly have any friends.</p> <p>In the past we've just done a family affair at my IL's, which always works out great and we'll hopefully ( I have to talk to her) do that again this year. However, I want to be more involved this year in planning and decorating and stuff. </p> <p>So anyway, my question is how can I do a joint birthday party for a 6 &amp; 9 year old that still makes each boy feel special?? </p> <p>I know joint birthday parties can suck sometimes but we really can't afford to be throwing them two parties. In fact, they already get two, one at their moms and one with us. (Their mom is so uncooperative we really can't collaborate anything with her). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625222 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:59:05 +0000 Dandelion 625222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SAHM0811: I got our flash cards out of the dollar bins at Target. Love that section...we find all kinds of cool stuff in there, lol.</p> <p>Ds loves Alpha Pig, haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625201 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:52:48 +0000 SAHM0811 625201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T-Mom: @katiew92081: flash cards... good idea! thank u guys for the tips. btw, I just checked the HB blog and whaddya know, there's a post about Reading today!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625195 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:50:49 +0000 SAHM0811 625195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katiew92081: oh soon!! how exciting! enjoy these last few weeks as a mama of 1 :) I sorta miss those days sometimes! We love Super Why!! My eldest always like to be Princess P... She tells her little sister that she's Alpha Pig... haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625191 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:48:26 +0000 Dandelion 625191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SAHM0811: The 18th! It's crunch time...ready to get her out! lol</p> <p>One thing that my son liked were these flash cards we bought one day. He learned to recognize some simple words with them.</p> <p>Honestly...he also learned a lot from the show Super Why. They do a lot of reading exercises on there, which helped him at least learn HOW to figure out words, even if he wasn't reading quite yet. Just getting used to the idea of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625181 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:45:37 +0000 T-Mom 625181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SAHM0811: thats awesome that your DD got into the school you wanted! For reading, she actually has a tutor who is offered through her preschool , and we just read to her at home and help her sound out words. I also made flash cards with the letters and she practices her letter sounds. Both producing the sounds on seeing the letter, or recognizing the sound when spoken and giving the correct letter. That's as far as we have gotten to so far! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625170 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:41:39 +0000 SAHM0811 625170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katiew92081: oh nice! I know my DD will have homework everyday in kinder, but it's really simple and fast... Just to get them used to a routine of doing it. But it's still something new we're going to have to add to the mix!</p> <p>Yeah, my first was/is feisty and my second is the easy one! You just never know! When are you due? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625062 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:08:23 +0000 Dandelion 625062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SAHM0811: Nope, no homework. Once a week he brings home a math worksheet, but it's for Math Stars, which is a math program that's optional in his school. He answers the problems and gets prizes for the points from correct answers.</p> <p>Ds is pretty responsible, for being 5. I'm really lucky with him. He really cares about routines and things being "just so." He's also happy to make me and dh happy, and really (for the most part) has a lot of respect. He's got his days where listening is a problem, but they're few and far between. They also usually are tied to days that he's tired.</p> <p>He's always been a pretty easy kid. DD isn't even born, yet, but I have a feeling she's gonna be my feisty one, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625042 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:01:30 +0000 SAHM0811 625042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katiew92081: does your LO have a lot of homework? One thing I'm finding too as a parent to a 5 yo is I have to put my "mom voice" on a lot more.. You know, really remind her and tell her what to do more throughout the day. It's like I expect more out of her now... She has to do her homework, make her bed, clean her room, practice writing, practice her bike, etc... I guess there's going to be more and more growing pains here and there, right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625012 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:51:04 +0000 Dandelion 625012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SAHM0811: They do learn so much in kindergarten! He's learned about the months of the year and days of the week (before that, it was all really a foreign concept, even though he had been in preschool for 2 years before kindergarten). I also like that they do the specials (gym, music, art, computer, etc) I remember that being my favorite part of the day in elementary school. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/older-los#post-625004 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:47:56 +0000 SAHM0811 625004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katiew92081: ah ok. Yes I notice that she memorizes some of her favorite pages and parts of a story! She can sound out words, but needs a lot of help with it sometimes. She is spelling and writing out words too, so i think that all helps too, right? </p> <p>it is crazy how much they learn at this age. I thought they were sponges at 2 and 3 years old, but really I'm finding that they learn so much in preK and K too!! </p> <p>I'm really enjoying this age right now. It is so bittersweet though because like you said, it's so surreal. I remember her baby days like it was yesterday, but at the same time, so much has happened and changed since back then. And she's suddenly not a toddler anymore, but a KID! </p>