4 kids
lots of trouble
tons of messes
'I dont know' and 'Not me' took charge.
I was officially in a SITUATION.
I had been to a seminar with my homeschool group quite a few years earlier and the words of the speaker were coming back to me...
Give them clear expectations...
Make rewards and punishments obvious.
Follow through, follow through, follow through.
So I spent an entire weekend making a chart. I laminated cute little tags. Some were for chores, some for prizes or rewards, some detailed rewarded and unacceptable behaviors. Each tag had a positive or negative points value. Each kid had their own pocket to keep track.
It was a great idea!
And it worked for the kids, especially the younger ones, who worked hard to get as many points as possible.
But it didnt work for me... because I didnt follow through. I was lax. I didn't check to see if the chores were done properly. I didnt keep track of the points. I didn't dole out the earnings and rewards weekly as agreed upon. I didnt work it. I spent 14 hours a day away from my family, working, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to check chores or to sort out sibling arguments to see who got points removed.
I had high hopes, but I let the system down.
To this day, I flounder to find a system that will work for me AND the kids. Every where I look there are different ideas. What do you do?
This post linked to Works For Me Wednesday.
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5 Comments Welcome!:
I really like your tags, Anne. I think you need to get back on the wagon and WORK IT Girlfriend! Really, I'd like to see/hear more about this system of yours. Can you do a post where you expand on it? I love laminating things. It makes me giddy.
It's the thought that counts right?
I love the tags! I would give you advice if I had any. But my kids either aren't old enough to do chores or just can't figure it out. Bummer. I can't wait until they can do the dishes or fold the laundry.
I have the SAME follow through problem! Charts, organizers, expectations...the kids handled it great. I was the one that fell apart keeping track & rewarding them.
Trying a new system this week: "puffballs." Craft store pom poms. Put one in a container for your child for each positive thing he does, and take them away for a negative consequence. When the container is full, reward!
Wish me luck....
What a great idea!!!
Mine are too old for some of this, but the system itself is similar to one I use, or have attempted to use. This is absolutely fabulous!
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