2/6/07

Tackle It Tuesday: The Mommy Store

Tackle It Tuesday Meme


My tackle for this week is one that will eventually help with the whole house and possibly my sanity. Can't beat that with a stick!

The Mommy Store is up and running! I'm all for the latest techniques and this one has found its way into our home.

I found this neat little idea in a Works For Me Wednesday post at Nikki and Danny. I mentioned the Mommy Store to the family last week during dinner while I was threatening reminding the boys that if they didn't sit down and eat their food, they'd be kicked into next week in big trouble.

Matthew has been anxiously waiting for me to go forth with the Mommy Store thing and was eager to show me his "perfectly made bed" Saturday night which he did without being asked. I think it may have also had something to do with the fact that he finally read my post about his birthday in which I said I almost cried when he did it the last time.

Here's how it works: each child has a jar and when they do something nice/helpful, they get a white chip (1 Mommy Money); when they do something extra nice/helpful, they get a blue chip (10 Mommy Money); When they do something not nice, they get a red chip (-1 Mommy Money). Its a great positive reinforcement tool and I think its a great way to practice math. It has really saved me a lot of breath, too. All I have to say to the boys is, "Do you want to get a red chip?" and they're back on track.

I knew we had a bag of red, white and blue poker chips in the cabinet under the snack bar because I have picked them up off the kitchen floor more times than I care to remember (those little things can take your feet right out from under you on a tile floor. Don't ask me how I know). I also have an over-abundance of empty canning jars from all the homemade salsa (to die for!) and peppers we consume.

I made little labels out of scrap booking paper, used glue dots to attach them to pint canning jars and voila! Mommy Money Jars. It was so cute when I put them on the half-wall between our snack bar and living room; DH asked where his Mommy Money Jar was. Now, I asked him a few times if he was absolutely sure he wanted a Mommy Money Jar. I reminded him that I may not have enough red chips for his jar, but he insisted. Here is DH's jar.

Our Mommy Money Store will be open on Sundays since we started it on Sunday and those days aren't as busy for us.

So far, Matthew has really kept up his room and no one has earned a red one... yet. It even kept Steven from getting up after being put to bed last night.

I was also thinking that this can curb their tendency to ask for items at the store while I'm shopping. I have a hard time explaining to them that we don't buy things simply to buy them. I am thinking that if an item is a reasonable price, we can buy it for the Mommy Store and they can buy it with the chips they earn.

So that is my tackle for this week. Not a huge overhaul, but it did get Matthew to clean his whole room, straighten his bookshelves and organize his desk. Its sort of a chain reaction tackle!

To see what others are tackling, visit 5 Minutes For Mom. Don't forget to leave a comment!

14 comments:

Girl Raised in the South said...

You seriously could market this idea. It's really a great one. Thanks for stopping by my place. I put you in my bloglines to visit now and then.

If you dont market the Mommy Jar, it would still make a great gift for girlfriends - bet they'd love it too.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the Mommy Store is working. I'd try this too but we are not allowed to go anywhere near Jason's precious poker chips. Ha,Ha,Ha!
P.S. Hope you're having a nice day with the kids off. I have all the kids but Audrey.

Anonymous said...

wow what a wonerful idea! i only have 1 child who is way to young for the money jar idea(only 2months but i think that when she's older i'll be sure to make her one. awesome idea! good job!!

Rebekah said...

I think my 2 oldest are too old for this but this is a great idea for the younger two.

Jen said...

This is a great idea. Good tackle!

Beckaboo said...

Great idea!! I think I may implement it. :o)

Blessings!

My Trendy Tykes said...

Good Luck!!!!
I hope to start my "Mommy store" soon also.

Linda

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great idea to me!

Ami said...

Excellent technique!

Fingers To Toes Photography said...

OH WOW - what a creative idea - I LOVE it and we might be taking up the idea as well - I just love the idea

So do they get to "buy" stuff with there mommy money?

Nikki said...

I am so glad that others have found out how rewarding Mommy-Money and the Mommy-Store can be. My friend that I got the idea from uses it with all her children and her oldest is twelve. She said that her older children prefer to purchase the snacks and coupons instead of her dollar-store toys.

Nikki

Unknown said...

What a great idea, I love the idea that a demerit gets a red chip instead of a chip taken, I think it is more visual that way. Glad it is working!

Unknown said...

That is a really good idea! i am going to have to file that away in my head for when Leah gets a bit older!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! Maybe we'll use it when m girls get older. :0)