Responsibility and Reward

My family has been working on ways to be more organized and responsible. As my children have grown we have changed the way we do our chore charts and rotate chores. I decided it was time to switch it up again. I found a really cute and fun system on this blog. I changed a few things to fit with our family and our lifestyle. Because I don't have a lot of wall space or really any kind of space, I decided personalized chore folders with pockets would be best for our family. I also decided that, instead of printing off a set of chore cards for every day of the week, we would just use one set of chore cards for each child and move them to the next day at the end of each day. I like this system because it combines rewards with learning responsibility. In my house, privileges have to be earned. My kids don't get to watch TV just because it sounds like a good thing to do. They have to earn their time on the TV and all other electronics. They also have to earn time with friends and basically anything they want to do outside of reading, schoolwork and chores. I know this sounds harsh but it really isn't any different than telling your children they can't do anything until their chores are completed. My children just get to earn time and use it how they see fit. 

Here are some examples of the chore folders. I have whited out my children's names because I use their nicknames on this blog and the folders have their real names on them. I used the small pocket templates from this website. I found the clipart by searching the web and made sure that all of the clipart I used was available and free to the public for printing. 

I also put a some clipart on the back of the folder just to make it recognizable no matter which way it's facing. The chores to be completed for the day are in that day's pocket. When each task is completed, the card is turned around and placed back into the pocket behind the other cards. 

For each chore completed they are rewarded with 1 ticket. Each ticket is worth 15 min. of time enjoying a privilege. At the end of the day I go through the folder and place the tickets earned in that day's pocket. Then I move the chores to the next day's pocket. My children can earn up to 12 tickets a day which is 3 hrs of privilege time. They also have the opportunity to earn extra tickets by doing extra tasks without being asked. They can use their tickets right away or they can save them and store them in the pocket labeled "Tickets."

When extra effort is put forth and a child is on their best behavior all day, they can earn a "Best Bee-havior" card. This card is worth an extra special privilege like a friend day even if they don't have enough tickets for the time spent, they can also be traded in for prizes from the prize bag. The prize bag is filled with items that are not expensive but are also valuable to my children, such as crayons, gift certificates to spend at the store, etc. If a child wants something that takes a bit more time or money they can collect a few cards and turn them all in at once to get that item or time. (Of course this is discussed with parents ahead of time to make sure it is reasonable.)

Rewards cards are great for earning a special date with Mom or Dad or even both. For each day all chores are completed, without complaint, a sticker or an "X" is put in one of the boxes. When all boxes are filled, the child has earned the date with Mom or Dad. When they have completely filled two "Rewards" cards, they have earned a free day. The free day means they don't have to do any chores or schoolwork. They can have a day to do whatever they want, within reason. 

For organization purposes, I keep all of the reward cards and tickets in a separate folder. I also keep the extra chores, not in use, in a storage baggie and placed in the same magazine file as the chore folders. Because the pockets are small and there are many tickets and cards, I have several pockets for each card and the tickets are separated by color. 

This system was created by a homeschooling mom. There chore cards include a card for schoolwork, reading for 20 mins, tidying up the school area and blank cards for you to create a chore that fits in your family's routine. You can create your own rewards and make the system work for your family in your circumstances. There are times when my children want to earn money instead of privileges. I believe being flexible allows my children to set goals and earn the things important to them. 

Instead of only having chores for five days of the week, I have a pocket for all seven days of the week even though Sunday is a day of rest for our family. However, there are still certain things that have to be done on Sunday such as making dinner and doing the dishes. I also include the cards that have them do their daily routines for getting ready for the day such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, making bed and so forth. Saturday is our day to get ready for Sunday, so I have included that in our work week and Saturday chores will be placed in that pocket. 

I believe that a child who is taught responsibility and the value of hard work at an early age, is a child who will succeed outside the home when they are grown. We can teach our children how to earn the things they want and to set goals by teaching them to work and rewarding that hard work.