the casserole of chore charts

it's been like years since I've blogged... but I've been taking pics of my projects for you!

here goes #1

I would like to thank everyone on the internets that have ever posted   A) a chore chart B) a reward system 3:) pictures  D) routine schedules V.) behavior ideas  6:) and Pinterest for putting them all together just for me.

As a mother I have lived  in the dream that "some day my kids, home, attitude, motivation, butt, nutrition, and parenting skills will ALL BE PERFECT".  I have waited.  and waited. complained about it.  and given up.  I didn't want to actually DO THE WORK involved in these items (and still don't) but have noticed the longer I wait, the more out of control the monsters, house, freaking dinner, and attitudes have gotten.

Let me say, I married a wonderful man.  He is everything I am not.  Even keeled, sweet, willing to do laundry, puts up with my stuff.... of which I have buckets.  I have a mood disorder (and why in the hell I just decided to come out of the mental health closet about that on internet I will never know), maybe I tell you this so that those of you out there struggling can feel my love and empathy that LIFE IS HARD, but with proper medication, prayer and support you can do it!   I know our family could not have made it this far with out the loving support and hard work of my husband, covering for me when I fail.  But in my heart I want to stop failing, and succeed.

I have reached the end of my rope this month, we need a plan.  How am I supposed to raise children to love Christ, communicate with others, and love each other in a home of confusion??  Contention is of the devil, we aren't in constant contention, but we ain't in harmony either. The only thing I can say we are is INCONSISTENT.

We needed a system, I searched the internet, there were MANY with parts I like, but none of them were perfect for our house.  I finally combined 100 of them and came up with my chore chart casserole.  It has MANY parts, but the only thing the kids care about is POINTS!  They need to be rewarded for behavior, actions, and responsibilities.  As well as face the consequences when the fell short of what was expected.  My kids are 7 and 4.  The 7 year old gets it, and loves helping her 4 year old brother succeed!

Let me (slowly but surely) break it down for you:
DISCIPLINE
I loved this:  FROM Show Tell Share, read her description for more deets.  I made her chart on a legal size paper in my publisher program, saved it on my memory stick, took it to officemax, had him print it on the next size up paper in cardstock, used one more piece of cardstock and laminated it.  Then Ryan Gosling was like:

and I was like, "back off Ryan I'm working, why are you always hovering?!"
so anyway here is my jpg and a picture of it finished hanging in clear view on the fire place

This chart is pretty similar to what my 7 year old is already doing at school, so it was exciting for her.  We called a family counsel the night we hung it up to talk about what the chart meant, how it worked, and what privileges are.  I then took out a stack of index cards, pink for her and green for him.  We talked about all the possible privileges they could loose and what CONSEQUENCES they could receive for not obeying, fighting, etc.  They had a fun time with this.  I explained that each card had written on it the consequences that THEY came up with, and those would be the privileges they would loose when they landed on the bottom of the behavior chart.

Next : routines!  We all have them, I have chosen for years not to acknowledge mine since it sucked and always landed me back in bed because it was just tooooo overwhelming- (sarcastic) yay for depression (depression is a jerk).  I knew my chore chart had to tie in tightly with our routines.  It's one thing to say "you are in charge of the bathroom" but I need my family to know "HOW" and "WHEN" not just the "WHAT".  I also knew they had to be small, perfectable (I know fly lady is against perfect!) jobs.  I want them to be confident in their abilities and know they are good and can do something so perfect that they will impress themselves!

I sat down and wrote down our routines (she gave me the idea), we just started a new school year and this is our schedule, feel free to download and alter or just use it for reference if it gives you a starting point.. everyone got one.  No questions as to what is expected to be accomplished, if all days were perfect... which THEY AREN'T.

I then filled up proverbial casserole pan more:

walmart oil drip pan $12  used command removable strips... like a hundred of them- ok like 15, but it was overkill

Adorable printables laminated (in private so Ryan wouldn't be up in my biz)- and my new daily cleaning bible 

Her chore ideas on her printables mixed with my  routines from above = these labels (please use and alter as needed) I added point values to ones I felt deserved points- points are important! Each line (almost) of their routine has a corresponding magnet.  I used lots of pictures so my 4 year old can now "read them" to me.  Yes there are A LOT of magnets, but I wanted them to feel accomplished before they even left the house! I just printed on cream paper, cut out label size and stuck to the roll (about an inch thick big roll of magnets from walmart, sticky on one side), but the edges were still  coming up, so I used white glue (I don't use modge podge - I only use white glue, I think it's the same and a LOT cheaper!) and my foam brush and painted the glue on thick all the sides and tops - unfun yes, but the only way to ensure their life span!

And then I found the brilliant wheel of destiny! This was the Cream of Chicken soup of the whole recipe!  yes we used her routines earlier, but study the wheel!  The outside is your ROOM OF RESPONSIBILITY, next is your BATHROOM CHORE, last is your KITCHEN CHORE.  I don't know if you feel the simplicity of this?  We all get to focus on 3 chores for one week, really do it, do it right, do it again and master it.  Then do something else.  I couldn't tell my 4 year old to clean the kitchen for a week, but he sure as heck can help me unload the dishwasher for a week!  Read what she wrote, it's written by a sane person... which is helpful in a self help project.  I think I subconsciously stole her "infraction system too" she's a genius!  

and VOILA! 

Velcro and dry erase markers keep everything in place

I used cheap ol contact paper to hold it together, it was flimsy before but now will last for years!

NOW FOR THE ONLY THING THE KIDS CARE ABOUT!

I haven't made mine yet and the kids are chomping at the bit for our Family Store!! I will be making a box similar to this, but I will probably label the point value on each item.  The plan is also to teach them, savings, spending and budgeting.

How the points work.  At the end of each day before bed we count up all their "DONE" points and as a bonus point they get one more if their behavior chart says "AWESOME"!  They have really started getting their act together in the afternoons for fear of missing their Awesome Point!  Isn't it funny how little things can motivate?    They can bank their points as long as they like.  I think I'm going to put the wii game I got on black friday last year that is just sitting in my gift closet, with a really high total like 200 points.  It's hard to teach savings, maybe they can have a love for it... unlike their mother.

Well I think that brings us to the end of my poorly done tutorial of how other people's ideas inspired our game plan.  If you have any questions please leave me a comment, and I will get back with you probably..

xoxo