Results without nagging; can it really be true? Yes, you can get your children to help out around the house without having to be a nag if you implement this simple concept.
You need to get creative when it comes to motivating your kids to help out around the house. Finding their hot button is key in giving them some extra incentive to pitch in and do their part. For most children, much like adults, money is a hot button and a strong motivator. I don’t give my children a set allowance so when I put this “program” into use, it really produced results. Even if you do give your children an allowance, this system can help them work for more money if they are saving up for something they really want. After trying several methods to incorporate financial rewards for extra effort, the concept of my "money jars" really helped my kids get excited to pitch in. Follow the steps below to get great results and teach your children how they can be rewarded for their efforts.
- Purchase a medium sized glass container for each child. (Use plastic containers if you feel it would be safer depending on the ages of your children.) These can be found in discount or craft stores. Then use paint pens to write each child's name on a jar and display them in the laundry room or wherever they can be seen. You can even let each child decorate his own jar to make it more personal.
- Next, establish a monetary reward for different chores around the house. You can write them down on your family grease board calendar so everyone knows how much money is given for each chore. The amount doesn't have to a lot in order to be effective. As a side note, I don't give money for the basic chores around the house that are a part of being in a family, such as cleaning up after supper or putting away laundry. These are for chores above and beyond the basics in your house. For each family, what they are will vary depending on your children's age and what you normally expect from them. For example, I reward my children for washing the car, cleaning the baseboards, weeding flower beds, etc. It's up to you to decide what's worthy of being a "monetary chore". You can also reward good grades or report cards this way.
- As your children earn money for tasks completed, place the money in their jars for all to see. With my four boys, this helps motivate them because they want to earn as much money as the other. (This works to my advantage!) You'll find it helpful to have a place where you stash extra change and one dollar bills so you can immediately put the money in your child's jar as he earns it. This helps to maximize the impact of the reward versus your child having to wait a day or two for you to get cash to put in his jar.
- Establish a routine for when they get to redeem their earnings. Whether it's once a week or every other week, decide when they'll be able to take take their money to a store, ice cream parlor or the like, to get something they want. (The dollar store works great for younger kids because they feel like they get a lot more for their money.) If you have older children they might want to save over a longer period of time to purchase something big. You could also let their reward be a credit to iTunes.
This system has proven to work because children can visually see the money they're earning and get excited as their money jar fills. Having a set time when they can cash in their money for something helps to keep up the enthusiasm. The younger the child, the less amount of time they should have to wait to spend their earnings since their understanding of delayed gratification is not that of a high schooler's.
Incorporating the "money jar" system should (1) help you by having extra hands with housework without having to nag, (2) help your children develop skills when completing various tasks, (3) teach your children how good effort pays off. This third benefit is a concept that will hold true throughout your children's entire lives and is worth having them learn early. I think you'll like the "money jar" system since it creates a win-win situation for your family because everyone is happy!
