Kids' Currency Take 3

OK, the NEW(est) system.

Definition-Find your kids' currency-meaning, figure out what motivates them and use that to encourage positive habits, good behavior, and overall cooperation.

Background- 1) Quarter system (taking away quarters for negative behavior/giving quarters for positive behavior)-FAILED for complicated reasons.
2) Massive chore chart-FAILED for obvious reasons (what's-in-it-for-me mentality made enforcing responsibilities with no particular reward system unsuccessful. Mine did not buy the whole "it's your responsibility as a member of this family." I have actually heard the words, "she's YOUR baby!" come out of one of my teenagers. EX-CUSE ME!?? I could NOT have heard that right because if this were the Waltons, that child would have been sent to an orphanage for something like that, right?)

Take Three (but who's counting)-
THE TICKET SYSTEM was introduced to me by a very organized former teacher with two pretty good preschoolers of her own (I should have known right there I was in trouble...I am NOT organized, I have 150% MORE people, and I've never been a teacher. However, I am starting out with 3 usually good teen/school-agers, 1 perfect infant, and 1...hmmm...we'll simply go with 1 two-year-old...enough said.)

Categories:
Ways to earn tickets
Ways to lose tickets
Things to do with tickets

Tools:
One roll of tickets usually found at any dollar store
Lists of ticket gains and losses

Rules:
* You are responsible for keeping up with your own tickets (keep them secret, keep them safe).
* No taking tickets off the roll if it is left out or if mom is sleeping.
* No "borrowing" tickets from other siblings (put your initial on the back of each ticket you receive to avoid disputes or confusion).
* No trading, giving, lending, borrowing, buying, selling or other misappropriations of tickets. All tickets must be EARNED by the user.
* Any ticket that is LEFT out will be THROWN out.
* Tickets that get washed with your jeans cannot be replaced.
* Tickets will be awarded on SAME DAY as completed task ONLY.

The Lists
Ways to earn tickets:
1) doing chores (1 ticket per chore)
2) doing chores without being asked (2 tickets)
3) helping a sibling with one of their chores (1 ticket)
*** doing chores after being told twice (PAY 10 tickets) ***
4) putting away coat, shoes, AND purses after school (1 ticket, 0 tickets if one item is left out)
5) putting away bookbag after homework is finished (1 ticket)
6) asking what you can do to help (1 ticket)
7) doing homework right after school without being asked (2 tickets)
8) brushing teeth in morning (1 ticket)
9) brushing teeth in evening (1 ticket, 2 tickets if it is your second time that day)
10) washing hands right after school (2 tickets)
11) helping toddler wash hands after potty (2 tickets)
12) doing weekend chores (2 tickets)
13) doing weekend chores without being asked (3 tickets)
14) washing face with soap in morning (1 ticket)
15) washing face in evening with soap (1 ticket, 2 tickets if it is your second time that day)
16) going to bed on time (2 tickets)
17) getting up on time (2 tickets)
18) paying a sibling a compliment (1 ticket)
19) giving the dogs fresh water outside of mealtime (1 ticket)
20) taking laundry to room (1 ticket)
21) taking someone else's laundry to their room (1 ticket)
22) putting someone else's laundry away for them (2 tickets)
23) bringing mom a load of laundry to wash from HER room (1 ticket)
24) starting a load of your own or someone else's laundry (2 tickets)
25) finishing and folding your own or someone else's laundry (2 tickets)
26) helping an adult with dinner (1 ticket)
27) cooking dinner for family (5 tickets)
28) eating a full serving of the prepared meal (5 tickets)
29) sitting respectfully, talking quietly and using good manners during entire meal (3 tickets)
30) eating a hot breakfast (2 tickets)
31) eating a piece of fruit with breakfast (1 ticket)
32) eating NO junk food-as defined by mom-all day (3 tickets)
33) play with toddler outside, walk a dog or take a bike ride for 10 minutes+ (5 tickets)
34) read to toddler at least 5 minutes (3 tickets)
35) change a diaper or pullup (1 ticket)
36) change a poop (2 tickets)
37) help toddler potty on the big potty (3 tickets)
38) babysit toddler 1 hr. (10 tickets)
39) babysit infant 1 hour (10 tickets)
40) watching ZERO TV all day (3 tickets)
41) bathe toddler (3 tickets)
42) feed baby (3 tickets)
43) cleaning up own mess from breakfast (1 ticket)
44) packing toddler's lunch for school (2 tickets)
45) de-trashing the van (2 tickets)
46) being clean and in room for quiet time 20 minutes before lights out (2 tickets)
47) making your bed (1 ticket)
48) washing bottles and nipples (3 tickets)
49) making bottles (3 tickets)

You get the idea...the possibilities are endless.

Ways to LOSE tickets:
Insulting a sibling-5 tickets
Aggravating a sibling (as defined by mom)-5 tickets
Arguing, whining or complaining about your work or food options-10 tickets
Fighting/yelling/physical altercation with sibling-5 tickets per kid
Girls with braces chewing gum-ALL TICKETS in your possession at time-$5 fine if less than 20 tickets
Cussing (as defined by mom)-ALL TICKETS in your possession at time-$10 fine if less than 20 tickets
Bringing up or participating in innappropriate conversation in front of younger sibling-ALL TICKETS or $10 fine if less than 20 tickets
Being asked twice to do something-10 tickets and you still do the task
Not passing clean room inspection with Dad-20 tickets
Forgetting a daily chore-5 tickets
Deciding to NOT do a chore after being asked-20 tickets
Not going to bed on time-20 tickets
Leaving stuff out at bedtime-5 tickets per item and item goes into the (da da DAAA) "BIN OFFFFFF DOOOOOOM"
Talking back/sassing (as defined by mom)-10 tickets
Not paying for computer/tv time-Double tickets for time plus 10 ticket fine

Things to do with Tickets:
Tattle on a sibling-5 tickets
TV time-1/2 hour-10 tickets
Movie (not to exceed 2 hours)-25 tickets
Computer time-10 tickets for first 15 minutes, 1 ticket for each additional minute
Go out to a movie-30 tickets per kid
Go to mall or shopping-30 tickets
Tag along malling or shopping-20 tickets
Go to a sleepover-25 tickets Go to a friends house-20 tickets
Play at a neighbor's-10 tickets
Participate in Fun Family Night-25 tickets per kid (movie included)
Have a friend sleepover-50 tickets
Have friend over to play-25 tickets
Sleep with sibling-10 tickets
Sleep with parents-125 tickets
***clearly we do not endorse this use of tickets, but the kids got to help with the list to increase our chances for success***
One soda (weekends only)-15 tickets
Chocolate milk-10 tickets
Girls-1 piece of gum for 10 minutes-50 tickets
One treat/junk food/dessert-25 tickets
Eating an alternative dinner to what is fixed-25 tickets
Alone time with a parent doing what you want to do for up to 2 hours-50 tickets

So far, this system has shown medium to high success in the preliminary stages. It takes a lot of work to be consistent, and that is harder for some people than others (like me, for instance). However, I have been encouraged by the kids' desire to make it work. They enjoy looking for ways to earn tickets, and they have REALLY stepped up to the plate in taking responsibility for getting tickets, keeping up with them and spending them.

I may have found a keeper in this one. Hopefully it will work at least until making good decisions about how to treat their siblings, their things and what to eat become habits.

My favorite thing about this one is that it rewards positive behavior, but still reinforces that there are consequences for negative behavior. It also gives them a lot of ownership of over how we spend time as a family, and they are all (even the 9 year old) starting to weigh the pros and cons of certain choices. I've heard my oldest daughter say that she'd rather NOT eat a dessert so she can watch a movie with us over the weekend. WOW! How about that Dr. Phil?