Easy Daysies Review and Giveaway!

Three kids, three schedules full of extracurricular activities, homework and family events! Sometimes I wonder how we ever make it through the day and then I must reflect, did we make it through the day smoothly? My household can admittedly be chaotic at times. My children often do not follow verbal directions as well as I would like them to...they often display "selective hearing syndrome"! The question is how do I keep them on task effectively and stay organized without running around like a one woman superhero task force? There is a wonderful solution and I know this from my time as a teacher but I suppose I rarely applied it to life at home.
As many teachers have known for some time visual schedules are most effective in easing the stresses children experience in transitioning from one activity to the next. If a child is aware of what activities to expect they feel a sense of control over their day and can prepare for what is to come. A visual schedule provides children with a reference point, one they can understand. Canadian teacher and parent Elaine Comeau has utilized her understanding of visual schedules to create products parents can use successfully with their children to make their days Easy Daysies!

My daughters in particular are eager to know what is going on each day in our household! I am constantly bombarded by questions about the day's activities and this can sometimes prove daunting. My children often forget and ask the same questions again and again throughout the day. It can drive me crazy! Now that I use the Easy Daysies Every Day Kit I prepare the day's schedule with my children the night before or the morning of and they are personally invested in the routine! Easy Daysies schedules are magnetic and can easily be applied to your fridge each day! My children now know to refer to the fridge magnets to find out what the day has to offer.
My 6 year old, Emma, is extremely impressed and has become "master of the schedule"! She has always been the child who counts the days until an event and who lives by the calendar. A daily schedule allows her the opportunity to feel in control which she loves. It also keeps me in control! No longer do I have to constantly nag my children to move on to the next task. Now I just say, "Look at the schedule what should we be doing?" Simple and efficient! Even my four year old daughter, Bronwynn, can read the magnets because they combine pictures and words. This fills her with confidence. She loves referring to the schedule to inform everyone of the next activity. I was a teacher for several years and taught a range of grades as well as children with special needs. Visual schedules are particularly useful with children who have difficulty transitioning. I spent so much time creating visual schedules but Easy Daysies makes it simple!

Elaine from Easy Daysies also sent me the Chores and Rewards Kit which I love! My children have mastered the art of mess making but still have a great deal to learn about helping around the house. The Chores and Rewards Kit includes chore magnets appropriate for your children plus two extra blank magnets for you to add your own. There are six empty boxes on each chore magnet which you can check off with an erasable marker once your child has completed the task. When all six boxes have been checked you may wish to reward your child for their efforts! I was excited because my children were doing chores more regularly and they were thrilled because they had the motivation of a reward! The Chores and Rewards Kit can be used on its own or in combination with the Every Day Kit.

Easy Daysies also offers add-on kits. These kits can be added to the Every Day Kit to include extracurricular activities, family events, and clocks to indicate specific activity times. I am already planning to add-on these kits to give my children a more complete picture of their day. As the school year slowly draws to a close thanking teachers is often on the minds of parents. Why not surprise your child's teacher with a practical teaching gift of an Easy Daysies Classroom Kit? What a great idea!!

Easy Daysies kits are 100% Canadian made and 5% of Easy Daysies profits are donated to the International Justice Mission, an organization dedicated to helping oppressed children have easier days. This organization is doing great work to rescue children from human trafficking rings including slavery and the sex trade.
Now one Northern Mama reader will be lucky enough to win an Easy Daysies Kit of His/her choice!
To Enter:

• Visit Easy Daysies and tell me which kit would be your favourite {Required}
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This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 27th, 2009 10:00pm CT. Read General Giveaway Rules for further details.