~*Chores*~

In our home, chores are designed to help them learn life skills, not just free labor. However, in cleaning up behind themselves, a kitchen timer is effective. When I was little my mom would ask how much do I think I can do in a certain amount of time. With my little ones, I ask which one can do more in a certain amount of time (all in good fun), and make it competitive. Who can pick up the most toys in two minutes? Who can make their bed the fastest, properly?

 

I'm sure this goes against the grain of society, but the reality is, when they get older not everyone gets a trophy. As adults they will be competing for jobs, pay raises, and if they are their own boss with others in their field. As parents we feel it stifles a child to teach them strangers care more about their feelings/self-esteem than performance. True self-esteem is built on how they can handle failure, do they whine and force their way or see it as a way to do better next time? I console my little ones when they meet a "let down" to their perceptions, like recently when my youngest didn't win the popsicle draw. His older brother, picked up trash at lunch, earned a slip for a free one, and he saw it as a way to help his school and make his baby brother happy. We'd already had the chat about how he doesn't always win, how others deserve a chance, and that he has a chance next time. But it melted my heart to see his brother do an act of kindness, in the specific area his brother was having difficulty without previous knowledge, and out of his own heart.

 

When I put together the chore board for the boys, I used colored scientific tape, letter stickers from Michael's, and magnets and puffy stickers from Michaels (I made them better stick with gorilla glue)... and pictures cut out and gorilla glued to magnets at top. I chose the dry erase choice, so we can swap out chores as they master them, and they earn coins they stick in their piggy banks (later to their bank accounts. The boys also stick cash gifts away, recycle for extra money to stash away, and we teach them how to repurpose and freecycle. Things they have me sell on CraigsList actually ends up towards charity, they love to sell their old stuff to help the SPCA. And as a parent, things were given to them, so we don't feel it is right to take anything back in any fashion... it is all their choice! Even if in the future they choose to keep their cash, but in the mean time I am proud they are making positive choices and thinking of others and not just themselves.

 

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CHORE CHARTS

 

DLTK

http://www.dltk-cards.com/chart

 

Free Printable Behavior charts

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com

 

Chore Charts.com

http://www.chorecharts.com/free-charts-charts

 

Goal For It

http://www.goalforit.com/chore-chart.html

 

Handipoints

http://www.handipoints.com/printable-chart/chore-chart.html

 

Tip Nut

http://tipnut.com/chore-charts