WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF-CARE DECKS AND THE TEAL HOUSEHOLD DECK?
NEATLINGS defines self-care chores as chores that need to be completed by each child individually to be considered complete such as brush teeth, make bed, practice instrument, do homework etc.
NEATLINGS defines household chores as chores that typically only needs to be completed once in order to be considered complete. Such as take out trash, water plants, feed pets, get mail etc.
NEATLINGS defines household chores as chores that typically only needs to be completed once in order to be considered complete. Such as take out trash, water plants, feed pets, get mail etc.
WHEN DO YOU SETTLE UP AND PAY YOUR KIDS THEIR EARNED REWARD TICKETS?
In our house we settle up once every day, we always do this at the same time every day, for us that is at PJ time because that's at the end of the day when we're winding down and most of our work for the day has been completed. At that time, I sit down with each child and we look at what they did for the day, what I owe them tickets for and then I pay them the tickets for that day and they put it in their earned tickets pocket of the chart. At this time, we also decide what they're going to work on tomorrow and we select those chores and update the chart with their chores for the next day.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU LET THE KIDS "CASH IN" TICKETS?
I pretty much let them redeem their earned reward tickets whenever they want assuming it works into our schedule. For example, if they are like "mom, I'm bored what can I do" I might suggest that we look at our FAMILY STORE and see if there's anything fun in there for them to do. Our FAMILY Store is basically just a box of items that they can purchase with their tickets it has a variety of things in there. Some examples might be Playdoh, a new movie, a new music CD, outside toys etc. At our home one ticket is worth $0.25 or 15 minutes of screen time and for the items in the family store I have them pay real world value for their items so anything in there from the dollar store would be four tickets, a large container of Playdoh cost me about $0.75 each so I charge them three tickets.
As for screen time, at our house, each ticket is worth 15 minutes of screen time however after the first year I did get a little tired of having to manage that so I changed it to it costing 10 tickets for any screen time at all and that really encouraged them to make sure that they did enough chores to at least get 10 tickets the day before so they would be able to have a little bit of screen time the next day and then I just kind of oversaw that time based on my own decision of how much time they had been on the screen and if they needed to be cut off of it for the day or if they could have a little bit more time.
Then if they want to redeem their tickets for money I would often do that in the evening if they had a lot of tickets to cash in. I would just take 20 tickets from them and give them $5.00 because at our home each ticket is worth $0.25 so that worked out or if there was something they were saving up to buy at a store then when they had earned enough tickets I would cash them in and they would then keep their money in their own wallets and when they had enough we might go to the store and get it if I not had already purchased it and put it in our family store.
As for screen time, at our house, each ticket is worth 15 minutes of screen time however after the first year I did get a little tired of having to manage that so I changed it to it costing 10 tickets for any screen time at all and that really encouraged them to make sure that they did enough chores to at least get 10 tickets the day before so they would be able to have a little bit of screen time the next day and then I just kind of oversaw that time based on my own decision of how much time they had been on the screen and if they needed to be cut off of it for the day or if they could have a little bit more time.
Then if they want to redeem their tickets for money I would often do that in the evening if they had a lot of tickets to cash in. I would just take 20 tickets from them and give them $5.00 because at our home each ticket is worth $0.25 so that worked out or if there was something they were saving up to buy at a store then when they had earned enough tickets I would cash them in and they would then keep their money in their own wallets and when they had enough we might go to the store and get it if I not had already purchased it and put it in our family store.
DO I PAY MY KIDS FOR ALL CHORES?
This is really a decision that all families need to decide for themselves what will work best for your family. However, I can tell you what we do at our house. I don't pay them for everything they do as somethings are just their responsibility however if they don't have all the responsibilities done then I don't pay them for any of their "earned" reward tickets for that day because they need to have their responsibilities completed before I pay any tickets at all. However, if they have all of their responsibility chores completed then I will pay them for any chores that they did that they could earn rickets for. Also, if they do ALL their chores for the day then I pay them double and this really gives them incentive to find that last bit of energy to complete all their chores.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHANGE UP CHORES?
Every night when we settle up together (my child that I am settling up with and I. I sit down with each individually) decide what chores they will have the next day. We take into consideration how much time they will have, if they should have more or less chores the next day, are they trying to save for something special and would they like extra chores.
Most days the chores do not change too much but just get a little tweaking. Many of their chores really stay the same from day to day which really works out well because for example if one child had "Clean Living Room" then the living room should still be relatively clean the next day and be easier for them to maintain if they have that chore again. The kiddo feels like they are "getting away" with something as it isn't as much work to maintain it as it is to clean it the first time so they are happy to have the same chores multiple days in a row and my living stays clean! Yay for me! This ends up being a WIN/WIN for all of us.
Most days the chores do not change too much but just get a little tweaking. Many of their chores really stay the same from day to day which really works out well because for example if one child had "Clean Living Room" then the living room should still be relatively clean the next day and be easier for them to maintain if they have that chore again. The kiddo feels like they are "getting away" with something as it isn't as much work to maintain it as it is to clean it the first time so they are happy to have the same chores multiple days in a row and my living stays clean! Yay for me! This ends up being a WIN/WIN for all of us.
HOW MANY CHORES SHOULD I GIVE MY KIDDOS EACH DAY?
I typically give my kids 2-4 self-care chores that they are working on, most of these I do not pay for and they are just their responsibility but depending on what it is I may let them earn reward tickets to help give a little extra incentive. Then I give them 1-3 chore(s) that is their household responsibility; something they need to do just because they are part of the family, and finally I give 2-4 chores that they can earn reward tickets for. Then I always have bonus chores available so they can earn more if they want.
Generally, I give my kids personal responsibilities that we are still working on or that I just want to help us remember. For example, my oldest is really good at making her bed every day and I don't pay her for it; it's just her responsibility. However, my youngest is still working on this and has a bunk bed so it is more of a challenge for her. I do pay her one ticket to help give her an incentive to make her bed as she is still learning.
I always forget to have my kiddos take their vitamins so I put that as a personal responsibility for each of them and then they are really great about remembering them as long as they have it as a chore. I don't pay them for this one but it is super easy for them and they feel good to have that chore completed (it's always nice to have an easy win) and I feel good knowing that they took their vitamins.
We don't use the cards for homework or brush teeth because they are all really good at those and we don't forget those things. Once you have something worked into your routine really well and your kids don't need reminders or incentives then I recommend just leaving those off the chore chart as everyone already knows that those are just responsibilities that you do.
I will put out chores that they are still working on as self-care chores or ones that I want to them to remember to do. I do not pay for most of the self-care chores but some I do. For example, my kids take piano lessons and I consider practicing piano a self-care chore but none of my kids are very good at taking this on as a personal responsibility so I do pay them for practicing their lessons to help give them added incentive.
They will get a helpful but not too tough chore that is just their household responsibility. My youngest might get their "Clean Bathroom Counter and Sink" and also get "Clean Bathroom Mirror" and I'll have her do these things in our half bath which is most used by company. My middle child might get "take out trash" or "set the table" for dinner while my oldest needs to "exercise pet" (walk the dog) and "feed pet" (again specifically our pet dog).
Then I select 2-4 jobs that they can work for tickets for. These will vary more but generally they keep the same chores for a few days in a row.
Generally, I give my kids personal responsibilities that we are still working on or that I just want to help us remember. For example, my oldest is really good at making her bed every day and I don't pay her for it; it's just her responsibility. However, my youngest is still working on this and has a bunk bed so it is more of a challenge for her. I do pay her one ticket to help give her an incentive to make her bed as she is still learning.
I always forget to have my kiddos take their vitamins so I put that as a personal responsibility for each of them and then they are really great about remembering them as long as they have it as a chore. I don't pay them for this one but it is super easy for them and they feel good to have that chore completed (it's always nice to have an easy win) and I feel good knowing that they took their vitamins.
We don't use the cards for homework or brush teeth because they are all really good at those and we don't forget those things. Once you have something worked into your routine really well and your kids don't need reminders or incentives then I recommend just leaving those off the chore chart as everyone already knows that those are just responsibilities that you do.
I will put out chores that they are still working on as self-care chores or ones that I want to them to remember to do. I do not pay for most of the self-care chores but some I do. For example, my kids take piano lessons and I consider practicing piano a self-care chore but none of my kids are very good at taking this on as a personal responsibility so I do pay them for practicing their lessons to help give them added incentive.
They will get a helpful but not too tough chore that is just their household responsibility. My youngest might get their "Clean Bathroom Counter and Sink" and also get "Clean Bathroom Mirror" and I'll have her do these things in our half bath which is most used by company. My middle child might get "take out trash" or "set the table" for dinner while my oldest needs to "exercise pet" (walk the dog) and "feed pet" (again specifically our pet dog).
Then I select 2-4 jobs that they can work for tickets for. These will vary more but generally they keep the same chores for a few days in a row.
DO YOU LOOK AT EACH CHORE THEY DO TO MAKE SURE THEY DID IT CORRECTLY?
Ideally when your kiddos are just starting a task that they haven't done before then it is a good idea to walk them through it a few times first and check it over the first few times. But honestly, I don't always have time to go check their work when they are done. If it is something that I know they know how to do then I don't make a special effort to check it however at some time that day or next when I happen to go into the area they worked on then I will make note of it and when I have a moment with that kiddo or when it is time to settle up then I will make sure to tell them what a great job they did on one aspect of it and if there is something I want them to work on for next time I will let them know that too. For example, I might say "The playroom looks great! You really did a nice job and I loved how you organized the "XYZ". I also noticed that there were still a few toys hiding under the chair, this is easy to miss but maybe keep an eye to it next time. Overall, you did a great job and I super appreciate how hard you worked!"
Remember they are precious kiddos learning a new task and they so very much want your approval, so be generous with them, smile at them, speak kindly to them and they will be eager to help tomorrow too.
Remember they are precious kiddos learning a new task and they so very much want your approval, so be generous with them, smile at them, speak kindly to them and they will be eager to help tomorrow too.
HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY PER TICKET?
It depends. I've seen some pay $0.05 a ticket or 5 minutes screen time. I've seen families not use any screen as a reward option. I've even seen a family use time fishing as the reward for tickets. I've seen others pay as much as $2 a ticket. I’ve also had one mom that has flight benefits let her kids earn reward tickets to choose the next weekend vacation spot. (I asked her to adopt me but to no avail). I know of another family that tally's up all the kiddos earned tickets to use as a whole family reward. It depends on what is going to work best for your family.
However here is what we do at our home. I pay $0.25 a ticket or 15 minutes of screen time. I like how it works out to be a quarter of a dollar or a quarter of an hour for screen time. If my kiddos do all their assigned chores in a day without complaint then I pay them double, this really gets them motivated to complete all their chores without the need to nag. Another great tip is that I only pay reward tickets if they have completed ALL of their responsibility chores for that day, else I pay nothing – rest assure they always get their responsibilities done!
One option that I have seen a family do that I really like and think is super clever: They have a long term family goal reward system. So as a family once they earn enough tickets then they get a family reward. For this they needed a lot of tickets, they could have just used a sheet of paper to keep a tally but they wanted that visual of seeing the earned reward tickets add up. They purchased a bunch of different colored raffle tickets that you can buy Amazon (affiliate link to tickets) Each child got their own colored reward tickets to coordinate with their self-care deck colors and reward ticket decks. Then they used one jar per child (I think these were canning jars) and kept them out of reach at the top of their pantry and when they would settle up they would put the earned raffle tickets in each child's corresponding jar. This way each child could see their jar fill up and feel excited about their contribution to the family. Then as a family unit at the end of a certain period they would tally up the earned reward tickets in the jars and have a family reward. What a cool idea!
However here is what we do at our home. I pay $0.25 a ticket or 15 minutes of screen time. I like how it works out to be a quarter of a dollar or a quarter of an hour for screen time. If my kiddos do all their assigned chores in a day without complaint then I pay them double, this really gets them motivated to complete all their chores without the need to nag. Another great tip is that I only pay reward tickets if they have completed ALL of their responsibility chores for that day, else I pay nothing – rest assure they always get their responsibilities done!
One option that I have seen a family do that I really like and think is super clever: They have a long term family goal reward system. So as a family once they earn enough tickets then they get a family reward. For this they needed a lot of tickets, they could have just used a sheet of paper to keep a tally but they wanted that visual of seeing the earned reward tickets add up. They purchased a bunch of different colored raffle tickets that you can buy Amazon (affiliate link to tickets) Each child got their own colored reward tickets to coordinate with their self-care deck colors and reward ticket decks. Then they used one jar per child (I think these were canning jars) and kept them out of reach at the top of their pantry and when they would settle up they would put the earned raffle tickets in each child's corresponding jar. This way each child could see their jar fill up and feel excited about their contribution to the family. Then as a family unit at the end of a certain period they would tally up the earned reward tickets in the jars and have a family reward. What a cool idea!
MY PEN ISN'T WORKING?
NEATLINGS Erasable Pens are unique in how they work to retract the writing tip. Since the end of the pen is actually the eraser we needed another place for the clicking mechanism that pushes out or retracts the writing tip. These pens have the clicker on the clip. Simply use your thumb to press or slide down on the clip to click the writing tip in or out.
NEATLINGS Erasable Pens use a thermo-sensitive ink. This means that when the ink exposed to higher levels of heat the ink will seem to disappear. If this happens there is an easy fix. Simply place the pen or the item that was written on in the freezer for just a few seconds and the ink will reappear!
NEATLINGS Erasable Pens use a thermo-sensitive ink. This means that when the ink exposed to higher levels of heat the ink will seem to disappear. If this happens there is an easy fix. Simply place the pen or the item that was written on in the freezer for just a few seconds and the ink will reappear!
DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR A FAMILY REWARD STORE?
Yes, yes I do…
A family store doesn't have to be anything elaborate.
Just a box filled with fun stuff or a simple list of items will work great!
99 great reward ideas for your family store
64 Store Bought Rewards
A family store doesn't have to be anything elaborate.
Just a box filled with fun stuff or a simple list of items will work great!
99 great reward ideas for your family store
64 Store Bought Rewards
- action figure
- anything from the dollar store
- app for device
- art kit
- art supplies
- bath toys
- bike accessories (water bottle that attaches to bike, basket, bag, bike bell)
- blue tooth headset
- board games
- book
- bouncy ball
- bubble bath soap
- bubbles
- chalk
- coloring book
- craft kit (make necklaces, window clings)
- detailed coloring book, also known as adult coloring book
- device cord, plugin, case, earbuds
- DVD Movie
- emoji pillow
- family movie night
- family pizza night
- foam airplanes
- gift cards (Walmart, movie theater, Best Buy, Target)
- glow in the dark sticker stars for ceiling
- glow sticks
- go go-cart racing
- go miniature golfing
- go shopping for small toy
- go skating
- go swimming
- gum
- hair accessories
- hoola hoop
- ice cream
- individual balloons
- large toy
- lollipop
- medium toy
- movie tickets
- music CD
- music download
- nail polish
- new beach towels
- new crayons
- new markers
- paint and paint book
- playdough
- portable device charger
- posters
- puzzle
- puzzle book
- Redbox movie
- science kit
- science museum
- sports equipment (soccer ball, basketball, baseball, bat, baseball glove, hand weights, step monitor)
- stickers
- swim noodle
- temporary tattoos
- trip to the bakery
- trip to zoo
- video games
- water balloons
- window clings
- bake with parent
- bike ride with mom or dad
- build a fort with parent (big box, blankets)
- camp out in yard
- computer time
- create something with parent (bookshelf, wooden car)
- date night with dad
- date night with mom
- extra book at bedtime
- family board game night
- family picnic
- go feed the ducks
- go fishing
- go geocaching
- go hiking
- go kite flying with parent
- go park hopping ( go to 3 or more parks)
- go sledding with family
- have a kids garage sale
- have parent paint your nails
- paint nails - have a makeover
- pick the family board or card game
- pick the family movie for a movie night
- pick what’s for dinner
- play date
- play family game of (soccer, baseball, basketball, tag)
- play frisbee golfing with parent
- play frisbee with parent
- set up a lemonade stand
- sleep over
- stay up 30 extra minutes
- stay up 60 extra minutes
- stay up an extra 15 minutes
- trip to beach
- trip to park
