Lately it seems like we've constantly had to stay on our girls about keeping their rooms clean and neat.
Jae likes to pull out every toy she owns and leave them out on the floor, on her bed, on her dresser, or in the pathway walking into her room. In fact, any place other than her toy box seems to be suitable for her.
Morgan, being the normal teenager she is, likes to pull out every piece of clothing she owns and leave them wherever they fall.
Needless to say, we recently had a family meeting. Before sitting down with the girls, Dirk and I were trying to figure out a more peaceful way for us to handle this.
Sooooooooooo, we started a contest!
Whoever keeps their room the cleanest ALL week will be rewarded with a trip (treat) to Baskin Robbins. The girls love this place!!!!
Okay, so you may be thinking how foolish it is to make this kind of deal and that their rooms should stay clean out of mere obedience, right? Well, we figured since we are the parents and they are the kids we could demand, push and shove them into cleaning their rooms. However, we wanted to take a different approach at this.
So today was our first trial day of this and I would have paid for any of you to see them. They were both rushing to make their bed, putting away toys, hanging up clothes, on their knees picking up whatever they could find on the floor. Dirk and I were loving this!
The best part about this is that they have no idea what time of the day we will be checking. We may check first thing in the morning or it maybe late at night, or not at all some days. I kid you not, this is G-R-E-A-T!!!
We also have the understanding that this will not be a family outting each week to Baskins. It's only for the one who wins.
We figure $3-$5 for us to do this each week. And for those who know how frugal (read "cheap") I am when it comes to spending money on ice cream, I believe I can truly endure this!
Trust me...and to keep the peace in this area, it will be well worth it.
We'll see how it goes.
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5 comments:
Love this idea!! I think anytime you can find an incentive that works, by all means, put it to good use! We've tried similar methods over the years with our girls and they worked miracles. Way to go, Mom!! :)
That's a great ideal! I need to try something like that. My kids does not like to clean up at all.
My sons cries and baby is not far from crying.
I am going to try a incentive program this week. Thanks for the great ideal.
I will let you know how things go.
Tonya
Mikyla and Seth are still at the age that racing each other is fun. So they will race for a penny. Yep I said it a penny. I figure when she finds out that some kids get quarters and dollars I am in trouble!
Don't let anyone tell you you can't or shouldn't do this...you are the parents. You get to make up the rules. There is no right or wrong way (in general) to motivate your children. You know what makes them tick, and if it's a trip to get a special ice cream, then so be it. Great job guys!
I need someone to bribe me with Baskin Robbins!
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