With Summer here and many hours of the day to occupy...I have been wondering how to best teach my children to work and do hard things ("We Can Do Hard Things" is our family motto-a whole other topic). And of course, playing is important too.
Maddie is totally at the age where she can really help around the house. There really isn't anything she can't do (don't tell, but I've even let her use my sharp Santoku knife and she is really good at it!). She loves to help in the kitchen with cooking and especially baking. So I wanted to take full advantage of this important teaching time in her life.
Well, I found this thing called My Reward Board and I am in love! No more "chore charts" on the wall, door or refrigerator-it's all done on the computer.
sample from myrewardboard.com
sample from myrewardboard.com
We have been using it for two weeks and have found huge success-especially with Maddie. I have taught her to clean her own bathroom and she is really good at it! We have no more arguments on practicing the piano either. She has not missed a day of practice in two weeks. She waters the garden and flower pots daily, helps with dinner, laundry, etc. I never have to ask her to do her jobs and her behavior is joyful. She asks many times throughout the day "Do you have a favor?" And Will is doing so great too! He even has special jobs like emptying the inside trash cans each week, taking them to the outside trash and bringing in the empty trash cans on trash days. The chore chart is only one part of it...there is a virtual piggy bank (so if you don't pay allowance on a weekly basis because you forget, your child can't come to you months down the line and tell you you owe them $80.00!), demerit system, reward system, goal setting-it's the best thing I've found. Check it out!
