I have been meaning to get this post done about 3 weeks ago. Scouts are coming over in 15 minutes but I am determined to get this blogged TODAY!
My kids will not use chore charts. They WILL NOT. I have painstakingly made chore charts, I have bought charts, I have even had them help put some together, thinking that they would feel a part of it and want to use it. Nope.
Little stinkers.
They get excited for about a day, maybe a day and a half, and then it fizzles out. Isn't that great?!
About a month and a half ago as I was losing it because I was picking up their crap for the 97 millionth time and muttering about how I am not a maid...blah blah blah....(you Moms have been there, right?!) I quit what I was doing, threw in the towel, declared to them all that Mom was done and we would just live in a pig sty.
No one even batted an eyelash. Hayden even said "I like pigs." Grrr...
I was looking at blogs a few nights later and stumbled on one that I thought just might work on the Idea Room. I fell completely in love, if that is possible, with the idea.
It was founded on a few basic principles and you can fit it to work for your own family, and for different ages. The idea is simple. Help out and behave- earn points. Don't help out and don't behave-lose points.
I put together a few different "point" cards and printed them at Costco and then cut them in half. Perfect size.
I made them each a pouch to put their points in.
We sat down and talked about the things that need to be done around the house. Each "chore" was written on a popsicle stick with the # of points it is worth and put in a cup by the fridge. They also have basic things that need to be done every day to earn points (make bed, pick up clothes...) if they choose not to do it, they don't get a point. If it gets bad enough that Mom has to do it, they pay Mom or Dad points.
If they would like to earn more points they can choose from the cup.
Behavior wise, this has been even better for our family. When they are being nice to each other or extra helpful we can give them another point.
THEN here comes the reason they WANT points.
Two words.
Mom's Store.
Yes, I have a store. It opens once a week, usually on Saturday, and the kids can "buy" things from my store with their points. I bought a bunch of stuff from the dollar bins at Target, at the dollar store, etc and filled up a bin with all of the random goodies. There are bubbles, candy, coloring books, toys I wouldn't normally get them just because...
There are also "passes" that they can choose to buy with their points.
-Staying up one night past bedtime
-Extra story time at bedtime
-Ice cream date with Mom or Dad
-A trip to the store with $5.00 to spend how they choose
-A trip to the movie theater with Mom or Dad
-Mom or Dad will do one of your chores for you
Now I only wish that I could get "points" for doing stuff! :)
These "passes" have been hot commodities around here. The point values vary. They can choose to spend their points on a bunch of little stuff like candy and coloring books or save up their points to use on bigger stuff in the store or "passes".
It has been fun to watch them try to decide. They have actually held off on the little stuff to get the bigger ones. Maddie had an ice cream night with Josh and suddenly Hayden wanted to work to get enough points to go. They motivate each other and better yet...I DON'T HAVE TO BEG!
Has this completely "cured" our family? No way. But it has made things much better around here.
I was at the store with Hayden and Grace and Hayden was whining that he wanted something he saw at the checkout and I said no. He started whining more and I said that this was his warning and the next time he would lose a point when he got home. He stopped, you could tell the wheels were turning in his head, and then dropped it. The lady at the check out said "Points?" I tried to explain it really quick and she thought it sounded like a great idea. No, my kids don't always stop the whining. But I have learned to carry through with my threat. When we get home if they lost points, it is the first thing we do when we walk in the door. Points are taken away and they soon realized that I was serious.
I was at the store with Hayden and Grace and Hayden was whining that he wanted something he saw at the checkout and I said no. He started whining more and I said that this was his warning and the next time he would lose a point when he got home. He stopped, you could tell the wheels were turning in his head, and then dropped it. The lady at the check out said "Points?" I tried to explain it really quick and she thought it sounded like a great idea. No, my kids don't always stop the whining. But I have learned to carry through with my threat. When we get home if they lost points, it is the first thing we do when we walk in the door. Points are taken away and they soon realized that I was serious.
Now I only wish that I could get "points" for doing stuff! :)
10 comments:
Oh my gosh! I have so been there with the chore charts! This looks like such a great idea! Any chance you want to make some for me? I'll trade you for hats :)
I think Steph did somethinglike that and liked it. Here's another idea if this one fizzles out- I just throw away my kids things if they leave them out. (well not really, but I put them in a trash bag and then they have to earn them back. Only works for toys though, not much else.)
Oh Jen! ABSOLUTELY!!!! I will email you! :0)
in one word WOW!!! That looks so beautiful and sounds fun! :)
great idea Rach, I am going to use it someday too and you made all the cards so cute too. Way to go!
I do a very similar system although yours looks WAY cuter than mine. Mine is just putting stickers on a chart and earning rewards for those stickers. Maybe I will copy some of your ideas.
What a great idea. We do something a long the same lines because I for one am terrible at keeping the charts going. So I came up with Taylor family dollars. I made up paper dollars that say Taylor Family job dollars. They earn them for helping out when asked and for doing the little extras. My kids are into money so once they earn 4 they can turn them in for $1. The big thing with my boys is playing on the computer so each job dollar gives them 10 minutes of puter time. It has worked great because I am really bad at keeping up on charts and this way I don't have to and the kids are still being rewarded for helping out. I think I'm liking the points system for behavior....I may need to incorperate your wonderful idea along with our job dollars. Thanks for sharing, anything to make our Mom job easier is a wonderful thing.
Such a great idea! I have a few friends that do something similar & it works for them too. Must be a winner!
Great idea! I LOVE it!
Looove it girl!! I am all over this idea-- chore charts are down the drain for us too :( BUT this looks awesome & my kids love to earn things anyways :) I want your cute points & passes... what do I need to do??!! (you are a little far away for massage trade, but I will pay you for these!)
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