A Dollar A Day
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I should have thought of this sooner, but I didn't. I read the book Cleaning House by Kay Wyma for a review and found this idea in the book.
The author tells that she put 31 one dollar bills in a jar in her children's bedrooms. When the rooms were inspected, if a "non approved" mess was found; a dollar was removed from the jar. At the end of the month all the money that was left was divided up among those living in the room. What a neat idea!
What is "non approved"? Well, children do not clean the way an adult cleans. So as a parent, we need to approve certain "clutter" to be tidy. I know this is like seeing a thick layer of dust on a ceiling fan and approving it as tidy. Yep, a pet peeve of mine.
I like the money jar idea, but the money for the whole month I don't like. I think it would become "not a big deal" over time. I know for myself, if I saw the money being put in weekly I would tend to be more motivated. My son is the same way, so each Saturday morning I give Jamie 7 one dollar bills and he puts them in the jar. This is the day that the room is cleaned thoroughly and it is up to him to keep it tidy all week.
When Jamie was at a 4H outing at the first of the month, I deep cleaned his room. I did this, so he would have a fresh room to work with. Since that day, he has only had one bill removed from his jar. He has 4H camp coming up in two weeks and will have extra spending money to take with him. He's liking this idea and working to keep untidiness at bay.
 | Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement By Kay Wills Wyma / WaterBrook We all want to make life easier for our kids, but are we doing too much? Are we fostering an attitude of entitlement? Sharing her experiences with her own children, Kay Wyma helps you teach your youngsters real-life skills - from making their beds and controlling clutter to practicing hospitality and engaging in community service. |
