Chore Beads

Needless to say, when you have a large family, chores are a must! They not only teach kids responsibility and a sense of belonging, they make your job as a mom more manageable.  It is easy to get overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. Even when the kids help me out a small amount, it helps me greatly.  In our family, I expect everyone to chip in and help. (Ok, so Jane Maddy gets a pass – most of the time!) Over the years, I have tried many different chore charts and chore routines for my family.  While some of them were great, none seemed to fit our needs very well.  They seemed too complicated or time consuming or rigid for us to really stick with them.  I needed something simple that I could mold to my family’s needs.  I think we have finally found a system that works for us so I thought I would share it!

But first, a few more thoughts on chores to consider: 

1.     Should kids be paid for their chores?  I personally think all kids should have chores.  Some in which they are expected to do just because they are part of the family. Yep, that’s right. Chores with no money, no rewards, no nothing!  Since our chores vary each day, so does this list.  For us, the first 2 chores my kids do each day usually fall into this category. 

But then, I also think they should also have a chance to earn an allowance. My kids get a quarter for anything extra they do.  Typically, these extras are not optional.  They have to do the chore because they are a part of the family. However if they keep a good attitude while completing the chore, they can earn some money.  It’s a win-win for both of us!  (Jennaleigh is so young she doesn’t care about money so for her she earns candy.)

2.     Don’t expect perfection  - This was a hard one for me at first. I wanted them to do chore but I also wanted the chores to be completed exactly as I would have done them.  Let me save you some heartache…. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I try to teach the kids how to do their chores. You can’t expect them to automatically know how to do what you expect unless you take the time to teach them. Even then, it won’t be the same. For me, it was learning that it was better to teach them responsibility than perfection.  I sometimes make them do a chore over and I sometimes say a big “THANK YOU” and then do it again myself.  But in the end, I have some help and they are learning!

3.     Don’t wait until your kids are “Old Enough” – Start early.  Young kids love to do chores. They even think they are fun!  There are some great charts online that help you know what is age appropriate.  However, I have learned kids can do most anything that you teach them to do!

4.     Be consistent but don’t worry about being fair. So this may not sound that good, but really is life all that fair? I refuse to get in a debate with my 9 year old on why he has more chores and responsibilities than his 3-year-old sister.  It’s just life.  In the long run, he also gets greater rewards.  I try to stay as consistent as possible with each child.  If I ask them to do a chore, I expect them to do it like they are on a mission and to report back to me when they are done so I can check their work.  From my 3 yr old to my 9 yr old, the expectations are the same. 

5.     Praise, Praise, Praise – Praise even if the chore isn’t done exactly as you would have done it.  Praise during the effort. Praise for good attitudes. Praise for helping others.  Praise, goes a long way!  If I had someone praising me every time I did my chores, I might not need others helping me! LOL!

6.     Have fun and work in teams as much as possible!  Let’s face it chores are not always fun.  But some can be turned into fun with a little effort.  We sing songs while we fold laundry. We have races to get toys picked up.  We take breaks to dance to song.  A little fun can go a long way!  I also have my kids work as a team as often as possible.  This helps them learn to share responsibility and to encourage each other! And let’s face it; chores are more fun when you have help!

SO…. Now, our system!  It may not work for every family but it has been a lifesaver for me!

First, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a big bucket of craft beads.  Originally, I also bought each kid a different colored chain necklace.  (I had to modify this step.)  My kids had a blast sorting all the beads out by color into a craft box. (I don’t think that you have to do this but….) 

Next, we assigned different chores to the different color beads. Now, I went broad here. Remember, I have already tried a million chore chart ideas.  I found that our chores change daily and we have too many chores to make a pink bead mean “pick up our toys”.  Here is the list we came up with:

Yellow Bead = Regular Chore This is the one they do just because they are part of the family.

Green Bead = Extra Chore This one comes with a reward…. In our house, it’s a $.25

Orange Bead = Good Attitude A bad one and you don’t get a bead…. But an extra good attitude can get you extra rewards… a chore worth $.50 What can I say money talks at my house?

Pink Bead = Act of Kindness Did they help someone else with a bead?  Did I just catch them being kind?  Ok, I realize I am getting away from chores but it works for us!

Purple Bead = Miscellaneous I keep this one open.  It could be they ran an errand for me, made a phone call, babysat Jane Maddy (with me real close)…. Regardless, they did something to help contribute to the well-being of their mom!

Recently, I purchased some new beads to add a few more activities. 

Heart Bead = Act of Love  My kids struggle as all kids with being nice especially when it comes to their siblings.  So this way, I can catch them showing love and they get rewarded.  Not all acts of love, get a bead AND they can’t come and ask for one. “Mom, I was nice to John Mark can I have a bead?” NOOOOOOO!

Star Bead = Good Job I use this one with our school stuff.  Did they get started on their own?  Did they finish their schoolwork early?  Did they not complain when doing school? 

Silver and Gold Bead = Bonus Beads I haven’t really figured these ones out but I’ll have it when someone earns them.  I made the silver worth  $.50 and the gold $1. 

Here are a few guidelines with the beads.

1.     You can’t ask for them (but you can remind me that I have beads)

2.     Mom is the keeper of the beads. You don’t always get what you think you should. 

3.     You must get the beads when the chore is done.  You can’t tell me you did a chore 3 days ago.

4.     You can cash beads most anytime we are home but you can’t wait till we are checking out at a store and say you have beads.

The only thing I have changed so far is the necklace.  The kids were constantly dropping al their beads.  Right now, we are using Ziploc bags.  However, I may get mason jars and put their names on them. 

I had planned to have them cash in their beads each week but they like to build up how many they have.  To make it easier, I have gone to the bank and gotten a roll of quarters and dollar bills so that I can easily give them their rewards.  Typically, my kids use their money to buy icees or candy.  John Mark likes to save it up for bigger items. 

I think that’s it!  Its simple! Its fun! It is working for us! And it’s another blessing!  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think?  How do you do chores?