Loren and I are some of those "mean parents" who don't believe in handing your kids things on a silver platter. We rarely ever buy gifts or treats for our kids for no reason. They get stuff on their birthday, Christmas, V-day, and the day before Easter. They save their money for items they want and, *gasp*, they do chores around the house. (Just to clarify, grandparents apparently don't feel the need to follow our logic...they do get spoiled by grandmas and grandpas.) But that is ok. :-)
The girls have been really wanting a swing set. This, for us, falls into a category of "I'm not buying them this just because." So Loren and I came up with a thermometer chart that lists ten jobs they have to do. Each time they complete the job, they can color in a box. When all the jobs are done, we will get a swing set. Sydney thinks this is silly but instilling a good work ethic in our girls is something we feel is vitally important and something that is often lacking in the youth these days.
These jobs aren't all simple either. They have gotten one job finished (scrubbing the baseboards throughout the house) since I took this picture. They range from moving river rock out of our yard to helping prepare the garden for spring planting to sorting through their toys to give to a local charity. Hopefully, our idea works and our girls will see the value in hard work and working hard for things in life. **Hopefully** Parenting is somewhat of a guessing game but we are hoping we are on the right track. :-)
~Girls scrubbing away at those baseboards!
~~Scrub Scrub!
Mean Mommy #2
This past weekend my girls had some awful attitudes. They were fighting and talking back and just being rotten. They weren't listening when I asked them to do something. I was tired of putting them in time out and decided to take more drastic measures. So we took all of their toys (minus books) and locked them in the basement for a week. Since Sunday they have had no toys to play with. Of course they thought this was an awful idea but I will say this much: Since doing this, they have been much more pleasant to be around. There hasn't been nearly as much fighting and their demeanor has changed. Hopefully when they get their toys back on Sunday, this lesson will not be forgotten quickly.
A bonus from this is their room looks so clean without toys littering the floor!!
15 comments:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS POST!!!!!!! I can't tell you enough. I have been saying repeatedly that we are raising a generation of whiners because they don't have to work for anything!!! I was going to buy braylee an outdoor playset but I love your chore list and I'm going to use it too. THANK YOU THANK YOU AGAIN. also thank for the FYI post...I didn't know any of that!! You are awesome!!
yup, just more proof that you are a great mom! Our kids have been doing something similar - prooving they are responsible enough to have a fish tank. They're getting close!
Shamae you are my hero! I think I might have to try your taking toys away for a week....I won't tell Carter it was your idea that way he won't be mad at you!
I think you are doing a great job as parents and I like both ideas very much!!
Wendi
LOVE IT! I'm going to use that baseboard idea...GOOD PLAN!!!! Thanks for the tip and keep up the good work :)
Oh you are a mean mommy! I am too. Your kids will thank you one day. I must admit I had never thought of the thermometer - I think I will try that one. Thanks.
I can see why taking the kids toys away will help with their attitude. Hailey and Robert fight all the time over toys. I will keep that punishment in mind for the future. Thanks for sharing what you do with your kids.
I just did the same thing! Put the toys that they were fighting over in a garbage bag and placed it in the attic!
I love the chore chart idea to earn things. My girls have learned certain things like clearing their own plate from the table and throwing away their own diaper or pull up, but seeing your girls scrub baseboards made me realize that my girls are not too young for some real work, and to learn how to earn the things they want. Thanks for the idea!
You are awesome Shamae!!! I love this post.
Well...I have to fit in this catagory with you! Lastnight after telling the boys a million times to pick up their things, they still didn't so I went and got out a gargabe bag and put it in there and it went out the trash can! Hysteria in my house! But....I think it worked because today they cleaned up ALL their stuff the first time they were asked! OH, and we didn't throw the stuff away....they are going to have to earn it back....and maybe, just maybe washing MY floorboards might be in store! :) You are an awesome mom and what a great way to instill a good work ethic....because yes, kids these days are given WAY too much and never have to work for it! I'm right there with you on the whole "gift" thing! Sorry I missed you today! Hope the pics worked out okay for you! Have a Happy Easter tomorrow! HUGS!
Ha ha, I love this. You are the coolest.
I must say...we do the same thing here! My girls are spoiled by my Mom but they "earn" their stuff here. Each of them has a chore chart with 10 things on it. They are simple everyday tasks like make your bed, vacuum your floor, put your clothes away (I do the laundry), pack your lunch (school days)... along with several other simple things. They have an index card with their chart on the frig and they X out the day when they've done all 10 things for the day. If they do this M-F and get 5 X's then they don't have to do any chores on the weekend. I had gotten really slack since Kacey was diagnosed and things around the house started slipping because I was the one having to do it all. I started cracking back down on them, especially Kayleigh because she gets her cell phone with unlimited text every month ($35) and she was taking it for granted and at almost 15yrs old she is old enough to help me out around here. So I told her if she didn't help then I'd block her phone until she did ;) LOL that got her butt in gear! I think earning the things they get makes them appreciate it MUCH more. I always had a list of chores I had to do when I was growing up and it made me part of who I am today. Both my girls have been able to make their own lunches since they were 4-5yrs old. Both could use the toaster oven and microwave by the time they were 6yrs old. I've had some parents look at me shocked because they have kids that are 9-12yrs old that still can't cook!!! Thats insane! I want my girls to have the life skills to be self sufficient. Kayleigh can do laundry (Kacey isnt tall enough yet...LOL)
So...all that being said...you're NOT a mean Mommy...you're teaching them responsibility :) something MANY kids lack in todays world!!
ok well i guess im going to have to pull a mean mommy!! i am so sick of macees attitude and she never cleans up here we go!!! good thing i have a surplus of diaper boxes stacked in my bedroom waiting for me to do something with!! i love your posts!!
Yes! Finally a parent out there that makes their kids do chores. We used to do this, we never got to play unless we were done with all our work. I want to someday raise my kids like this. My nieces and nephews are sooo lazy!
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