February 7, 2024

103rd Edition

Hello Karen,

Do you get frustrated when your child leaves a little trail of leftover items and belongings behind them throughout the day? Or when you give a dozen reminders to your child to pick their things up?

The Saturday Box is a therapeutic parenting technique that helps parents to deal with these "forgotten" items without hassle or frustration and keep their house looking clean and uncluttered, all while helping their child to learn responsibility and how to care for their belongings.

Enjoy!

Pick your "Saturday"

Saturdays are often a day with more time available because there is no school and parents are often off work. However, every family is different and another day of the week might work better than an actual Saturday for your family.

The only guideline: use the same "Saturday" every week to keep predictability and felt safety for your child (and make it easier on yourself!)

Steps to get started

• Have a bin for each child and label it with their name
• Put the bins somewhere out of the way (closet, garage, etc.)
• Make a list of chores and jobs that could be completed to earn back items out of the box
• Choose your start day for implementing this technique

How to use your Saturday Box

Let's say it's a rule in your home that toys get cleaned up after use and put away. Your kiddo knows this is the expectation and still leaves behind a car and a tractor. When your child lets you know they are finished picking everything up, instead of having to remind them to pick up what they've "forgotten," as a loving, caring parent you simply take the two toys and put them in the child's Saturday Box. When they ask, "Where's my tractor?" you simply reply, "Where did you leave it?" "Oh, then it must be in the Saturday Box." No hassles!

Filling the box:

When you find an item left in a place it should not be - simply pick it up and put it in the Saturday box! No comments, no hassles.

If (when) your child asks you where their item is, ask them where they left it. When they let you know it was in the spot it shouldn't be, calmly reply, "Oh, then it must be in the Saturday box."

All items except essentials (necessary clothing, school books, etc.) can be put into the box throughout the week.

Emptying the box:

When your Saturday comes around, post your list of chores that can be done to trade for boxed items. Put it on the fridge or counter where it can be seen. If your child has completed all other daily tasks, they then have the opportunity to ask you if they can do a chore on the list for an item they would like to get back from their Saturday Box.

Each child can only earn back items that belong to them, in their own box.

What NOT to do

• Do NOT give your child an explanation or warning about the Saturday Box. Simply implement it and let your child learn from the process.
• Do NOT use this technique to threaten your child. Use it to help keep your home neat and yourself sane.
• Do NOT give reminders to pick up items. Setting the expectation once is enough!
• Do NOT worry that your child "isn't getting it." Learning new, positive habits is a long process. The primary goal of this technique is to lessen repeated directions, promote responsibility, and lessen negative parent-child interactions.
• Do NOT put essential items in the Saturday Box for re-earning. Your child needs you to continue meeting all of their essential needs! This includes food, necessary clothing, items needed for school, etc.

"Action speak louder than words, but consistency speaks louder than both."

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