Chore Chart

I've come to the conclusion that completely losing it with my kids is a total waste of time. It's like the old Peanuts TV show, "wa wa, wa wa wa wa". They tune everything right out! But give them a reward and they're all ears.

I'm not that naive to just hand out rewards. There has to be something in it for me. Let's face it, it is all about me. What kids??? Who are these little people that keep calling me mom??

The chore chart cometh. I'm tired of doing things that they should clearly be responsible for. I don't look at it as slave labor, though Social Services may think otherwise. I look at it as life skills learned at an early age. There is absolutely no reason a five year old can't change sheets or put clean clothes away. The central vac is easy enough to operate that cereal crumbs should be a thing of the past. And who doesn't think those Swiffer dusters aren't a blast to use? I'm not asking them to clean the toilets, though the thought has crossed my mind for the boys!! URGH! But there comes a point where a mom just gets tired of asking over and over and over again for the simplest of tasks to be completed.

I was smart this time. I made this a family effort with a family reward system. No individual gets rewarded for completing their chores. EVERYONE has to complete EVERYTHING for the day or no star. If there are enough stars at the end of the month, we'll do something fun as a family. This month they chose skiing. We'll see how they fair. If I have to remind any one of them more than three times to complete their chore for the day, there is no star for anyone. It gives me such an absolute sense of empowerment to say, "this is the second time I've asked. If I have to ask again there won't be a star for anyone today." And you can only guess how irritated the others who have done their chores are at the sound of that warning! Ahhh to be queen. It's a rough job being the ruler of the family. But with the right strategy, it's possible to achieve greatness. Without yelling I might add!

Again, you just don't mess with mama bear! I don't mind protecting my young, but I also see nothing wrong with eating one of them either.