Ok, so we tried ever since school got out last May to set-up a chore system and well...this summer it didn't happen. So with the new school year we vowed to get it done! With a little extra time on my hands (I'm no longer on the entertainment committee or referee at home - and I'm not as involved here as I was in Katy) I created a chore chart.
We wanted to have some paid chores (Chaz begs to be able to earn $$), but some chores they just do because they live here, eat here, and have it pretty good. Here is the result (since I didn't know how to post a Word doc [if that is even possible] I made them into a JPEG)! The blank spots to the left of Feed Winnie, Family Rm, Dust, Vacuum are for the kids' names. They will rotate those tasks every week (in hopes they won't get bored).
I printed both pages and laminated them front/back (I LOVE my laminator). This way the kids can use a viz-a-viz marker to keep track of their stuff and if they have any questions about the job they can look on the back (I will have to read it for the little ones).
In the morning and evenings we use the Children's Miracle Music system my mom gave to us a couple months back. Again, we waited for school to start with this, but my kids LOVE it and I'm not having to "strongly encourage" (translation - yell) at them to get them to get ready on time for school or to get in bed. My kids dance around like crazy people to the songs, and they get done the task at hand.
I had to reorder the morning CD since my kids don't get dressed until after breakfast (they tend to get whatever they are eating all down their shirts), but I just put the CD on iTunes, reordered the songs and burned a new one. Easy!
I haven't been able to find the points chart since the move so I created my own. I needed the morning one downstairs and the evening one upstairs - so I created one for each. This program is purely points based, so no money, but instead of just offering a "date" (the suggested "prize") we offer DS/Wii games, meals at McDonald's, happy hour at Sonic, etc. as "prizes" giving each a point value for the kids to work towards. We will see how all of this goes, but I am encouraged.
Yesterday was the first day the "Opportunity Chart" was in play and I told the kids they have to do their Everyday Jobs before the TV or Wii came on or they could play outside. They did a good job. I had to help Gavin and Aedan a bit, but they were efficient and got the job done in good time.
Off to pick up the kids from day 3 of school!!
P.S. If you are interested in a pdf of any of my charts I would happy to email them out! :)
