Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Mom Store

My boys are pretty good about picking up their toys when asked.  Pierce puts away his own laundry, and the twins already know that dirty dishes go in the dishwasher.  But I thought there was room for even more responsibility in our house, and I wanted to find a way to reward them for their help.  I'm always on the lookout for toy sales and had a fairly good stash of items that I had picked up rather cheaply.  I placed them in a Tupperware and told the boys I was opening a Mom Store.   Then I bought a little index card notebook with 3 tabs - one for each boy's name.

Everyday, the boys have opportunities to receive sticker rewards under their name.  Doing tasks like making their beds, helping their brothers, and cleaning up without my asking can earn stickers.  This gives me the chance to award small positive behaviors at any time.  Each sticker is worth 10 points.  Then on Fridays, the Mom Store is open in the evenings.  They can go shopping with their points, or they can save them up for a bigger reward.  They are also allowed to pool their points together to purchase a larger item if they are all in agreement about wanting to do so.
 If they choose to save all of their points and not redeem them on Friday, they get extra stickers, like earning interest.  This will help them realize the value of saving.  The prizes are a variety of points - anywhere from 50 points (for a piece of candy) to 1500 points (for a Spiderman racetrack).  They can see for themselves how many points an item is, because I used yard sale sticker dots to assign the points to each toy.
The boys have really gotten into The Mom Store.  They love looking through all the toys and craft sets on Friday.  And there are even some activities up as rewards - a trip to Sweet Frog with Mom or a visit to Homestead Creamery with Dad.  Because rewards can be activities too.

Now the boys are always eager to clean up when it is time, and I'm loving not having to nag them anymore!  It isn't perfect - but it definitely helps keep them motivated.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great idea!

Jeanne said...

Great idea, and it is helping them to learn! good luck with your mom store!

Aodhnait said...

I love this idea! Well done!

Eat To Live said...

Oh my gosh Lisa, what a GREAT idea this is. I bet those boys are working their little butts off trying to get stickers so they can go shopping. You make chores fun!!

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh Lisa you have to be the most creative,clever, and very cool Mom I know your boys are very lucky indeed. B

Barbara said...

This is such a GREAT idea! In addition to getting the chores done you teach them about saving. Love it!

Unknown said...

That is such a wonderful and creative idea! And it teaches so many valuable lessons.

Cat said...

I think one of the prizes should be an overnight at CatCat and PopPop's house. I will provide transportation. :-)

Unknown said...

What a cool idea! And by the way, it's been waay too long since I stopped by here for a visit! I've gotten away from actually reading blogs and I just realized how much I miss it! I hope you guys are all doing great!!

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

I want to shop at The Mom Store! What a great, and very cool, idea! There are so many lessons for them to pick up on, and they have fun, too.

Sonya @ Under the Desert Sky said...

WHat a great idea! I'm gonna have to try that with Livie!

Out on the prairie said...

My mom used to have a rainy day box that always changed and was a delight to investigate when she got it out.

mail4rosey said...

I love this, what a great idea. I'm going to steal it and modify it for my kindergartner who's not always so eager to clean up. T/You!

Sally said...

Now, that is downright genius, Lisa. I love how you always step out of the box. :)

gin said...

love love love this idea!

Heather said...

This is something my kids would absolutely love to do. Great idea! I will have to look into getting some fun stuff for my own "mom store" this weekend!

Valerie Boersma said...

I think it's perfect! What a super idea Lisa!! I wonder if it would work for adults, too? ;)

Sandy said...

I think it is a perfect idea! Being an accountant I especially love the "interest" they could receive by saving....lol

Vision By Mila said...

Even I would be excited every Friday! :D

Ginny Hartzler said...

Brilliant! And worked out down to every little detail!!!!

Debbie said...

a GREAT idea....they are lucky to have you lisa!!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That is a wonderful idea and they will learn so much from it!

Jill said...

LOVE this!

Tweedles -- that's me said...

What a perfect idea.
I would put away ALL my toys if moms gave me stickers too.
love
tweedles

Shine Kids Crafts said...

It is really a great idea! I will share this with my blog readers ^^

Michelle said...

Nothing like a little positive reinforcement.

Our Neck of the Woods said...

That is so cute. What a great idea!

Unknown said...

What a wonderfully creative idea, i love it!

Michaele said...

I used to have a store too. We all loved it. Thanks for the memories.

Grandma Bonnie said...

Oh wow what a great idea. I have got to pass this on to my kids. I bet my grandchildren would love to try this. I wish I would have thought of it when my kids were young.

Anne Payne said...

This is an excellent idea! I am passing it on to my daughter.

An Apel a Day said...

That's a good idea. My son's school has a school store. He loves it. The last thing he bought with his fake money was a chance to read to anyone at the school. He chose to read to a 2nd grade teacher; whom he might get next year.

Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too said...

What a cute idea! I have a friend that does something very similar and it works well for her!