Message Board for Teenagers

As our kids have gotten older we have needed to find new ways to communicate with them to avoid the arguments that can become common with teenagers. Our family counselor suggested that we have a message board in the house and write down things we wanted them to do. He said to write no more than 3 things at a time and then let the kids know when to check the board.

You can associate a privilege with completing the list and then let them prioritize getting it done. Activities like 20 minutes of TV or computer, for each task, seems to work well. We no longer have to nag them and remind them of what needs to be done.

Our message board was made using a 12x12 photo frame. I bought a piece of scrapbook paper, put it inside the frame, and put the glass back in. I used letter stickers to put their names on the board (on the outside of the glass). You can write on it with whiteboard markers, so I keep the markers and an eraser nearby. I hung it on our pantry door using Command Photo Hanging Strips.