A Picture Is Worth Stopping A 1000 Whines! How to Make A Picture Schedule Chart

Lately, my 3 year old has not wanted to get dressed in the morning or get ready for bed. I think it is because she was trying to exert control. In the end, we both lost the power struggle and ended up frustrated.
I had to figure out a way to make the morning and nightime routines a little easier and happier for all involved.

Option A: A sticker reward chart. I could make one for the the morning and nightime routines. "Little Family Made Simple" could get a sticker for each completed task. The "pee pee sticker chart" worked so well during the potty training stage, but I wanted to come up with something new. I know....

Option B: A picture schedule chart!

Picture Shedule Reward Chart

Need:

• Google Images (For Morning: Go Potty, Take Off Pajamas, Get Dressed, Eat Breakfast, Brush Teeth, Put on Coat, Get in Car. For Night: Brush Teeth, Put On Pajamas, Read a Book, Go to Bed).
• Poster Board or Store Bought Wall Calendar (I found this one at a teachers' store)
• A 2nd Poster Board to attach to images
• Ruler
• Glue
• Roll of Contact Paper
• Double Sided Velcro Strips (cut into desired size squares)
• Removable Wall Hooks
• 2 Buckets, Bins, etc

How To:

1. First figure out how many pictures you will need for each routine (morning and night). If you need six for each, then you will need to make or buy a chart with six horizontal rows.
2. Search for pictures in Clip Art or online that you need (pajamas, brush teeth, eat breakfast, get dressed, go to bed, etc).
3. Save each image to your computer.
4. Open a Word document
5. Paste each image onto the document and crop/enlarge to the size you want
6. Type phrase under each image (Take Off Pajamas, Brush Teeth, etc)
7. Print in color if you can
8. Cut out each image and glue or tape to a poster board.
9. Cover the front and back of the poster board with contact paper.
10. Cut out each image.
11. Either buy a calendar or make one out of poster board. Draw grid with seven horizontal boxes (sun-sat) and six- or however many you need vertically.
12. Cover the front and back of this poster board with contact paper.
13. Place one side of velcro in middle of each chart box
14. Place the other side of velcro on the back of each image.

You now have a schedule chart. 

You may want to first go over and explain what each image is. Next, ask your child "in the morning (or at night), can you show mommy what you would do first, next etc.

Once you feel your child gets what the chart is all about, ask your child suggest a special place to hang it. I put my daughter's in her room next to where I will lay out her outfit (the night before).

In order to not lose the image tags, I had her pick out two little buckets from her toy box (one for morning tags, one for the nightime tags). I hung them on the wall under the chart using removal hooks.

After each task is completed, an image tag can be placed on the chart. A reward can be given for each completed day. At the end of the week, your child receives a reward (stickers, special meal, activity, etc)

It has only been one night and one morning so far but has worked wonders! Normally brushing teeth is a struggle. Last night, however, she kept saying "I'm so excited, I'm so happy" and couldn't wait to show her daddy her chart!