What a Chore

Ummm, where has this been all my life? Oh yeah, I've been so busy just trying to survive every day I haven't implemented a visual system like this.  And I think Ellie just happens to be a visual kinda gal.

My cousin asked for an explanation of what we are using, so the rest will be pretty detailed.  I got the idea from here, and this is how we customized it:  Instead of having a line for every child and a column per day - I knew it was easier for Ellie to walk up to the chart and see all twelve red chores she has to do every day and then she decides what order to do them in.  When she completes it she turns it around, and at the end of the day before bedtime we count em up and give her a ticket for each one.  Each reward ticket is worth 10 minutes of screen time or 10 cents.  Up above is one envelope for the ticket bank and one envelope for Ellie's account.  If she has a perfect day with all 12 chores complete, she gets a sticker on the hot pink rewards card AND a toy from the treasure box.  That's right, I'm bribing my kid.  And it works, I tell ya.  I made the chart last week and didn't get around to going to get "treasures" from the dollar store til Thursday - and all of  a sudden my kid has the ability to have 3 perfect days in a row.  No complaining, grumbling, arguing, or contention in the home.  On the right hand side are optional weekly chores.  We use those for extras and also for replacements when somehow a chore isn't possible to complete (mom washed the dishes without waiting for Ellie).  The bottom two rows I put up daily and weekly chores for Darik that are pretty standard he does naturally, but I didn't want Ellie to feel like this is all hers - I wanted it to be all of us.  I'm not on the chart because I've put together my own chore schedule (see picture) that is more more detailed.

As a side note, I think I figured out the reason this is working so far.  Have any of you read "The 5 Love Languages'?  What are all five again?  Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Gifts, and Quality Time?  Well the idea is that each of us as an individual has one or two main ways we give and receive love.  The trick is to find out the love languages of those around you and learn to "speak" it so everyone feels loved.  Well at library they read a book about a 'sign maker' and Ellie decides to come home and make her own signs.  What does she write on all three?

"Get presents for Ellie Anderson"

ugh.  I think I have a little gift bug on my hands - so the opposite of me.  and explains why I hate little cluttery treasures and Ellie will jump over the moon to get her hands on one.  maybe.