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I was initially disappointed by how quickly Isaac and Charlotte’s zest for chores dissipated, but things are improving now.  Understanding timing is important.  I’ve learned that they have no desire to do chores if they’re already doing something that they enjoy.  That seems like an obvious lesson, but I tried bribing them away from toys in order to do work and it didn’t work and just frustrated me.  If I really want to motivate my children, I must create a scarcity that can only be filled through chores.  I haven’t been willing to create much of a scarcity for play because they get into trouble if I don’t give them engaging play options.  There are two types of things that I am able to create a scarcity in and I have used those two things as my motivators.  One is treats/sweets and the other is one-on-one time with mom.  As you can see from the picture, they are required to complete four chores for a treat of their choosing.  The second part is trickier.  Each time t hey fill a small treat strip, they get to add a picture of themselves to the outing progress cha rt.  After four pictures (16 chores) they get an outing with mom.  The other children go to Grandma’s house while the child who earned the outing spends time with mom.  Outings include things like a bicycle ride (which Isaac is currently working toward), swimming, a trip to the library, or a trip to the park.  This system has been rewarding in multiple ways.  It allows me to regulate treat intake better, the kids are enjoying doing chores, and I get to spend one on one time with each of them (Nicole gets her mom time at 2:00AM or 4:00AM ).

I’ve been frustrated at my lack of time lately and feeling like I’ll never have the time to do more than maintain the level that I have now.  It was in pondering this dilemma that I determined to try having my preschoolers help.  Today I had them try a variety of different chores so that I could determine which chores were best for each child and what I needed to teach each child to increase his or her repertoire of chores.  Most of my surveying was with Isaac, as he’s the older and more willing of the two.  We started off with the toilet.  He did ok, but needed direction on where and how to wipe all of the surfaces, how to hold the spray cleaner, and how to squirt the toilet cleaner into the toilet, but for some reason he enjoyed the task.  Later in the day he used the toilet and then reported that it needed to be cleaned again.  I taught him how to clean a mirror (using the one in his room).  At dinnertime I had him clear the table and rinse all of the dishes.  He did these chores well and with little need for direction.  Charlotte did the laundry and scooped the litter.  She switched clothes from the washer to the dryer and unloaded the dryer when it was done.  She did so well that I could actually walk away while she was working and she persisted through and finished.  The litter didn’t have much to scoop, so that lesson will have to be resumed later.

It was a successful trial.  I found a few chores that they could do independently that would actually help me.  I think I may spend some more time training them before implementing a chore chart and rewards system, but so far so good.