Monday, April 11, 2011

Managers of their chores....

In our opinion all children need chores. That being said it is quite difficult to make sure all chores are being done when all these children are running in different directions. We were in need of a system...

I found on this glorious Internet a book called MANAGERS OF THEIR CHORES. I bought it about six months ago. i read it in one night and spent the next six days putting together highly detailed chore packs...

The kids had set times everyday were they were to do their chores and it was awful..


I FAILED. I made chore packs that contained chores they had never done(like dusting).. (I have never dusted) I made the chore packs UN manageable.There was no way i could keep up with the training and the inspection process and still manage to get food on the table.

I QUIT.

While i was cleaning the bookcase the other day i found the book again and i thought i would give it another try. however i would go about it differently. I will make it work for is. I was so excited to have a immaculate house with many hands to help that i totally overlooked our lifestyle and i overlooked our children.


We have a new chore chart with the cards from the chore packs. It is in a main area of the house so no one can "lose" there chores. 



The chores are do-able this time. Make your bed, put your pjs under your pillow, get dressed, brush your teeth, etc...


We flip them when they are complete and no one forgets if they have done them or not.

Each chore has a minute value. At the end of the week all minutes are added together and those minutes can be "spent" on media time on Saturday. They can play the Wii, DS, or computer.

This system did not work in week one... they got to Saturday and most had only accumulated a few minutes.So they were only able to play on the computer for that time. Getting them all booted up and ready to play and then having the alarm clock ring 10 minutes later and me cheerfully telling them that their time was up worked like a charm, i explained as they balked that they had earned every minute of the time they had and that if they were unhappy with that time then they had an opportunity to work a little harder this week.

WELL HMMMM....

This week we have had kids up and dressed with teeth done and a bathroom that still looks like a bathroom when mom gets up. The girls are brushing their hair everyday without tears. Monkey boy is getting dressed (always been a fight for us) It has worked like a charm and for now and until it stops working I am delighted. I'm also happy that their was no need to yell or harrass them... Thats the way it should be!

Thank you Managers of their chores.....

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