More or Less Homeschooling & Home-making Adventure

I am a work in progress. I am striving to be an encouraging wife, a fun and loving homeschool mother, to learn to homestead, organize, and adapt. I desire to see life more like Jesus and less like the world's view of what's important. I praise God that I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone! Cuz' I CAN'T DO IT ON MY OWN!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

"I did it" Chore Chart



We have used a chore chart called "I did my chores". It has been wonderful. You can see it at: http://www.chores-help-kids.com/chore-chart-information.html.  


I made token jars out of old icing containers with a slit in the lid. I let them decorate a piece of paper that I glue to the jar so it's their token jar. I made a "store" that I keep on the fridge to get them excited about what they are working so hard for. There were items like gum and small candies that cost 5 tokens for that instant gratification. Up to items that cost 300 tokens to teach them to save. I've included 2 of the stores we used in the past. You can make the store for anything he is interested in. I also added things like play a game or take a walk with Mom. If they earned this one, then I couldn't say "later". I had to play when they wanted to. They loved this! This is completely separate from school.  


Each night, as part of the bedtime ritual, they bring me the cards they have in their "I did it box" and I give them 1 token per chore completed. They have to set up the cards again for the morning. They are colored so it's easy. If they ever lied about doing a chore, it "cost" them 5 tokens. They learned that one quickly. If they ever did a chore incorrectly, like hiding things in their room rather than putting it away properly, then they didn't get a token. In the chores that I knew they struggled with, I always "tried" to check them before they put the chore in the " I did it " box. Any time they "stole" my time to do their chores correctly it "cost" them. The chore program can be purchased at many retail stores. At first I thought it was too much money, and after a year I decided to use Christmas money to buy 3 of them. It was the best money spent that year. It's just awesome and so easy. I didn't like their pictures, so I searched the net for "free chore pictures" and made my own stickers to put on the cards. The color coded program really makes it easy to put them on the chart quickly.  


We have changed our program now as I get bored with the same set up but we kept that one for years. We still call our morning chores "the yellows", etc. All their chores are still colored. Our current chore chart has gotten much more detailed. You can see that one under the chores label.



Chore Rewards 1


Chore Rewards