Promoting Good Behavior - Reward Store

Don't call me mother of the year.  I think like most mothers out there, I am always feeling like I could be doing a better job at one thing or another.  Recently, I had both my Chinese driver and my Chinese housekeeper tell me that they thought my children were so well behaved, and always listen to me.  THIS, coming from people that spend a LOT of time with me and the kids.  I about FELL OFF MY CHAIR.  I for one, feel like my children NEVER listen to me.  Please tell me I'm not alone here.... PLEASE!!

Ok... so another attempt on my part to bring some "lets work together" harmony into our home.  A while back I had seen THIS idea which I shared on a collection of Parenting Tips, Tricks & Inspirations.  I think this will be the perfect motivator for my kids, the perfect thing for me to implement, and a great way offer positive reinforcement in place of the nagging I've resorted to.  I have made some changes to make it more appropriate for our home.  And of course... after using it for a few weeks, I've learned a thing or two.  I'll share...

Our living room now proudly displays the Reward Store.

Rather than offering an allowance, or using a chore chart, my children earn Mommy Money that they can use to buy things from the Reward Store.

First...

We went shopping together!  I told the children that we were buying things that they wanted to go into our store.  We had a nice variety of items, some inexpensive, and some more.  Some toys, games, treats, books, and so on.  The kids were great about helping select the items.  And no... I didn't buy EVERYTHING they brought to the cart.  ;)

Next...

I had the children put prices on each item.  I tried to keep it in "real" terms.  If it was a $5 book, then they put a $5 sticker on that item.  If it was a $20 basketball, it got a $20 sticker.  However, I thought it was likely smarter to put a higher ticket price on the candy we tossed in.  Instead of a $.50 package of M&Ms, we marked them at $3.  

You know your kids better than anyone.  I know, that if I have a Reward Store full of candy, then my kids will be buying nothing but!!!  So after a few weeks of using our store, I'm debating as to whether or not I keep the candy in the store.  If I do keep it, I will be increasing the price, I am sure.

A great thing to add...

Years ago my sister gave me this AWESOME Kids Coupon Book.

It was the PERFECT addition to our Reward Store.  

 

 I added this book to our store, but added a price tag to the back of each.  That way the kids can choose an item from the coupon book as well.  It is your choice if you allow the children to reuse coupons, which I decided to do.  Of course, who needs a book!  You can create your own coupons for your Reward Store!

Some of my favorite coupons in the book are...
* Stay up one hour past your bedtime
* Your choice of one item at the grocery store
* You don't have to clean your room for a week
* Your own batch of cookies, to share or keep for yourself
* A birthday cake, and it doesn't have to be your birthday

Ready, Set, Display!

Find a place that is up and away, but visible to display your Reward Store.  I found a great plastic tub that I was able to fit most of our stuff in.  My daughter was excited to make a sign for the store, which we hung on front, then we placed our "store" on top of the bookshelf in our living room.

So what about the Mommy Money?

You can download the template that I used to create my Mommy Money HERE (it is a Word 2007 Document).

I found a photo of myself and my husband, and cropped the image to the shape of an oval.  If you see below, I am using Word to do so with a photo of my husband.

1.  Add the photo you would like to use

2.  Right mouse click on the photo and select "Format Picture", click the "Layout" tab, and select "In front of text"

3. Select from the "Format" tab on the Word menu then "Picture Shape" as seen in the image above.

There, you will see the oval shape option (circled in red).  Select that.

4.  Resize your photo to the appropriate size, and place it in the middle of your bill.

5.  Copy and past your cropped photo into each of the other bills.

Earning Mommy Money

At our house, it is WAY harder to earn a Daddy Dollar than it is Mommy Money!  You need to decide what things you want to encourage in your children.  It may be different for each kid in your house too.  For me, having the kids pick up after themselves, get ready for school and bed without my nagging, doing homework without being told, and being kind to each other, are my BIG things.  So these are all things they earn money for.

I reward my children with $1 for each morning we get off to school on time without me having to tell them more than once.. "Finish your breakfast!"... "Get dressed!"... "Put on your coat!"... and so on.  If they are going out of their way to be helpful, they can earn a dollar or two.  If they, on their own accord, are exceptionally kind to another sibling, I may be willing to offer up even more.

The key is, decide what you want to encourage in your children!

It is up to you if you think confiscating Mommy Money is a route you want to go.  I have told my children that being unkind to each other will result in them having to "pay" the other child from their own Mommy Money stash.

Also keep in mind how quickly you'd like your children to be able to redeem prizes from the Reward Store. If you are forking out enough cash for your child to be buying items from the store each day, you may need to rethink your strategy!  Give out less money, or raise the prices in the store!

Adding to the Store

How many times do your kids come up to you at the store BEGGING to have this or that??  I think the Reward Store is a great solution to that.  Now you might be more inclined to buy that item, only to stick a price on it and toss it into the store.  Your kids are still selecting the items.. and are more motivated because these are things that they really want, right?  So keep adding the store.  Make it fun and mix it up!

If you give it a try, I'd LOVE to hear how it goes for you!

What things do you have in your Reward Store?

Happy Kids... Happy Mommy!!!

Lemonade Stand Learning

It is a hot, summer day, and your children ask if they can set up a lemonade stand in front of the house.

You say "Sure!" thinking it may keep them busy outside while you get some things done around the house.

But...

Did you ever stop to think of what an AMAZING learning opportunity this is for your children?

No?

Don't feel bad.  I'm sure most people haven't.

Therefor, let me share some of the many ways your children can learn through this fun, summer activity.
I've brainstormed a list of ways you can make your child's lemonade stand more than just "something to do" on a hot, sunny day!  If you have any other ideas to add, please share them!!

Check out the amazing lemonade stand my husband and father-in-law built for my kiddos!

They built it.  I painted it.  The kids create signs depending on what they are selling that day.

They even have a great counter space and storage for coolers below to keep their juice out of the heat.

How Lemonade Stands Can Promote Learning

Language
- Children can practice reading and writing skills by creating their own signs and posters.
- Your child can practice reading and writing by creating a shopping list of the items they will need.
- Children can read labels and follow the directions when making lemonade and other items they might sell at their stand.
- Encourage your child to write down ideas for items they could sell or the supplies they will need to gather.
- Have your child create a plan for their business.
- Critique at the end of the day:  What went well?  What did not?  What would they do differently next time?  Would they do it again?  Did they make a profit?  Was it fun?

Mathematics
- Help your child determine prices, and what the costs for each item is.  What is their profit at their chosen price?
- Calculating sale totals and counting money at the end of the day.
- Your child will need to know their coins, their value, how to count money, total a sale, and how to make change.
- Have your child keep track of their time, their sales, inventory, and customers each day.
- Children use math when following recipes!  How many cups of sugar, lemon juice, or water to make a pitcher of lemonade?
- Can your child calculate how many cups of lemonade they must sell to earn a profit for that day?
- How many cups of lemonade will your child be able to sell from each pitcher of lemonade?
- Let your child find ways of decreasing their costs.  What package of cups is the most cost-effective decision?
- Is it less expensive to make lemonade from scratch, to buy pre-made, or concentrate?  What are the price differences?

Social/Life Skills
- Shopping!  Let your child play an active part in making the purchase decisions.
- Interacting with customers is a great way for your child to practice their social skills.
- Preparing Orders/Drinks - following directions!
- Using manners and learning how to provide friendly, quality service.
- Counting Money
- Encourages Teamwork (if working with other children)

Art & Creativity
- Do you have a name?  Have your child come up with a catchy name for their lemonade stand.
- Creating signage.  Let your child create special artwork or posters to promote their stand.
- What makes your lemonade stand different?  What can your child do to make sure their stand is noticed?
- Ask your child what might attract people to their stand?  Do they sell something unique and interesting?
- Perhaps your child has designed or created their own stand, or played a part in doing so.

Business Sense
- Children can determine how to market their stand or their products.
- Determining the best prices and products to sell.   Do you just sell lemonade?  What is "your strategy"?
- What times are the best to sell?  Where is the best location?
- What will people want to buy?
- Have your child consider, "Why would people want to buy my __________?"
- Have your child critique their business when all is said and done.  (refer back to language)

Social Studies
- When would people be most likely to buy your products?  Are there times of the day or days of the week where you are likely to get more patrons?
- What kinds of things would people be most interested in buying where you live?  Are there lots of kids, or more adults?  Do people prefer sweeter drinks, or would cold water be more popular?
- Is your home a place where you would get enough traffic to make it worth while?  If not, is there another place you might be more successful?  Would a mobile stand be possible?

Science
- How hot is it outside?  What will you need to keep your products cool for your customers?
- Does the temperature outside effect your business?  Are there more or less people out in the heat?  Do your sales increase with the temperature?

Health
- What do you need to do to keep your stand a healthy environment?  Do you use gloves? Wash hands? etc.
- Do you have food items that will be unsafe to eat if they are not kept cold? or not cooked well enough?
- What about your child's health?  Do they have something to provide shade on a hot, sunny day?  Are they covered with sunscreen and adequately hydrated if they are out selling on a hot day?
- Do you want to offer healthy food and drink options at your stand?  What might those items be?  What makes them healthy choices?

Here's to Summer Fun and Learning!!

Scholarly Inspirations

There are so many amazing ideas out there.  I am constantly searching for and collecting my favorites.  My never-ending "to-do" list is becoming even MORE so!  ha ha.. I may never catch up!

One thing I do on my blog is share my "Inspirations".  These are things I have come across, that I LOVE, and find inspire me to get busy.  This collection of inspirations is all about adding some educational fun into your child's day.  How great are these ideas?!!!

I hope you find something fun here that inspires you!!

Looking for some colorful, artsy fun?

Tissue Paper and Glue Window Collage

by the Filth Wizardry

Here I thought my kids had outgrown their mega blocks!

Who would have thought to use them to teach them to read?!  Awesome!

Repurposing Duplo Bricks

by the Filth Wizard

I'm sure many of you have some children's games you could add your own special twist to.

What a great idea to incorporate more learning!

DIY Learning Games

at Helping Little Hands

Now this is just TOOO CUTE!

Magic Creature

by She Wears Flowers

Make your very own checker board game!

A fun way to practice thinking and problem solving skills.

Button Checker Board

by Little Miss Momma

Science in the Kitchen...

Easy and CLEAN FUN!

The Ivory Soap Experiment

by Housing a Forest

Make Art Projects that Pop!

Microwave Puffy Paint

by Housing a Forest

I can't wait to try this one...

Raised Salt Painting

by Housing a Forest

Spring is coming!

A fun project combining science and art.

Plantable Paper

by Alpha Mom

What mini-collection would your child keep?

Such a fun and cute way to keep their treasures.

Treasure Chests

at Martha Stewart

A fun and healthy snack for the kids.

Let them help in the kitchen!

Fruit Roll-Ups

by Clutzy Cooking

Learning for the Fridge!

Color Sorting Magnets

at delicateConstruction

Another fun way to practice math skills!

Self-Checking Flashcards

by A Little Bit of This and That

All of these wonderful "inspirations" get an A++ from Sun Scholars!

You can grab the button below and add it to your blog!

Thanks for sharing your amazing ideas.

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I hope you have found something fun here!  Enjoy!

Chore Chart

The craziness of the holidays are now behind us.  Finally, we are setting back into routines, and some of the routines we had been good at following earlier in the school year have slipped somewhere out of sight... perhaps between the couch cushions or under a bed.  It is time to get this one up and running again!

Our Chore Card System

We have several cards for the children to choose from.  Each card has a number in the upper-right hand corner... those numbers represent how many marbles the activities will earn them. As the children complete their chore, they place the appropriate chore card under a magnet on our kitchen door.  That way we can see what tasks the children have selected, and check that they made a decent effort in completing them.  Then, they are awarded the marbles based on the chores they chose to do.


We have three rewards the children can select when their marble jar is full.
1)  $10
2)  Date with mom or dad 
3)  Movie party, complete with snacks of their choice

This system has worked out great for us in the past. There are lots of chores to choose from, and being their choice, the kids don't seem to complain about having to do them.  Plus, it puts some of the responsibility onto the kids and less nagging on mom and dad's part.


If you'd like to use our Chore Cards, you can get them HERE.  I took mine to the copy shop to have them laminated.