Growing up my Mom unveiled more chore charts than I can count. After awhile it became the family joke. We would gather around for a family meeting and my Dad would turn the time over to my Mom and she would present a new chore chart. Some of them were quite elaborate and I never fully appreciated the time she dedicated to making them. As we got older we couldn't help but laugh because there was always a new chore chart. Fast forward 25 years and now I'm the one always trying to think of new ways to get the kids to do their chores. I discovered what my Mom discovered before me--kids lose motivation after awhile you feel like you have to nag just to get anything done.
So, this week Adam and I unveiled yet another chore system. The kids will start out with a modest allowance each week. I don't like the idea of paying my kids to do what they should do be doing anyway, but I understand the motivating force behind money and we know we need to teach them to be financially responsible human beings so we have structured it a bit differently. They start out with their allowance and then each time they fail to complete a chore, or have to be reminded multiple times, or complain about it they lose some of the their money. Each child has a cup with some beads and each bead represents a dime. If the kids leave for school and don't have their rooms clean or if they complain about unloading the dishwasher Adam and I will just take a bead out of their cup and put it in the "dump cup". At the end of the week they calculate how many beads are in their dump cups and then deduct that amount from their allowance. The more they do, the more money they keep. Oh, and just so Britton can't use the "I forgot" excuse we put up copies of their daily routine and chores in their bedrooms AND in the kitchen. I'm not going to nag, I'm just going to start putting beads in the dump cup. Just try me.
We'll see how it goes. I'm sure it will last about as long as all of the other chore charts that we (and all of the other parents in America) have unveiled. Hmm, perhaps I should start thinking of our next chore chart. . .
4 comments:
I am totally with you on the never ending versions of chore charts. I think the reason they often don't succeed is because they take a lot of effort on the parent's part, too. Today I am having a LSE cleaning/organizing day.
Good luck!
I always think "this is THE ONE" when I come up with a new chore chart, but they all go downhill after a few months.
Kaylynn, I should send you pictures of my kitchen island and hall closet. They would definitely boost your self esteem. :)
Sounds like a good plan. Hope it works for quite awhile-maybe all year!
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