But, I kinda came upon a problem. My good intentions rarely evolved to much more than just intentions! And if I did actually end up trying something, I just never stuck with it long enough! So much for being cool, right?
I also discovered a few years ago, when Anna started kindergarten, that I was the kind of mom who pretty much liked to do it all, and hardly ever expected Anna, being a very capable 5 year old, to really clean her room on her own, brush her teeth, or get dressed by herself! I remember one crazy morning, as we were rushing to get her ready for school on time, she just sat around waiting for me to do everything for her, and it finally hit me that I wasn't doing any good for her by doing it all!
Over the past 3 1/2 years, I've been trying to teach my kids to be more independent and not let myself do the things for them that they can and SHOULD and need to do themselves. I also tend to be a bit OCD when it comes to the way I like certain tasks to be done. It is very difficult for me to let my kids do certain tasks themselves, and not want to "fix" what they did afterwards! But I know it is very rewarding for them to be able to clean their rooms, wash windows, vacuum, clean the bathroom, etc and have me say "Great job" and accept the conditions of the job they did!
With that said, last year I came across a blog post about a chore chart a homeschooling mom came up with for her kids. Each task is worth points, and 3 points earns the child one 15 minute time "stick" (which is a Popsicle stick). At the end of each day, all the points are added up. At the end of the week, the kids get their electronic time sticks to use for the following week. In order for them to watch a show or movie, they have to use the time sticks they earned.
I really liked the idea, so I did the same for my kids. There are a few chores, like laundry, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom that they do only once a week, and the rest they do everyday. On the back they even have spots for extra chores if they feel so inclined to earn more points.
I still have to work hard at being consistent.....and cool (for example, we fell off the wagon completely during the holidays) but it has worked great for us and the kids stay motivated because they know that the less they do that week, the less tv time they get the following week! It's still a work in progress for us right now, it still feels new, and we will probably make a few changes here and there as we go along, but I really believe that families need to implement some sort of "routine" for their kids, to help them be actively involved in helping around the house, teaching them vital skills they need to know for when they become adults, as well as helping them become more goal-oriented. This particular chore chart we are doing is great too, because it teaches kids to save and spend wisely.
Anyways, I wanted to share this because I know that other moms might be interested if you are like I was, searching for something for your kids that actually works, that everyone will stick with!
And believe me moms....it's a pretty awesome and.....genius kinda thing....when you realize how much help kids can be around the house....especially when you look back on the previous week and realize you only had to do half of what you normally did before you became that kind of mom!
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