Ironic

It is ironic that only yesterday I was talking to be friends about how I don't like "chores" or chore charts. How I want my kids to do things because I feed and put clothes on them, and that as part of the family, they should do it.

Well...after weeks of verbal "banter" about getting money to buy things they want that this mean mother won't buy them, I caved in and gave them a chore chart that they kept asking me for.

Figures my grand idea of no chart (and that grand idea to my aforementioned friends) of them just wanting to help their poor old mother out of the kindness of their hearts wasn't going to work. 

To make it easy for me and meaningful for them, I attached each chore a price as well as a picture with the needed supplies for my only picture readers.  Nathan and I will choose four chores a day they have to do, they choose four they have to do, and the rest is icing on their chore cake.  We will keep a tally right there on the chalkboard contact paper and do the adding together.   I'm attempting to keep it a mixture of things to do so they can expend the things they can do. Plus I added non-chore things to the list like no TV, spending 30 min. with a brother, and exercising. 

I'm curious to see if this one works. We did a marble jar before.  It was great at first then it became competitive and I'd have my hands full in who knows what and not get a marble here or there.  It just became a pain. 

I hope this helps them see the difference saving means.  Later, once the idea of money is more tangible, we'll start helping them think on ways to organize it:  donations, savings, spending. 

Right now I just want to get through the week.