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Last summer, the clutter won, and I lost. I had been trying valiantly to keep my home neat and organized; however, there was simply too much ‘stuff’ blocking my access to the important things that I needed! If I wanted to access my calendar, I had to move a pile of my children’s drawings. If I wanted to find the cordless phone, I had to lift several couch pillows and toys. You get the idea. My house was being overtaken by clutter, and I was just fed up.
With three sons who were 8, 10, and 12, I knew that getting our house organized was going to have to be a joint effort. I thought about motivators, a system, and an easy way to keep track of our progress, and here is how we transformed the Braun residence from cluttered to neat:
- I purchased three gallon sized translucent water bottles; one for each of my children. I also purchased about a dozen bags of glass marbles at the local dollar store.
- My next step was to explain the rules of the water bottles to my children. Every time they put something away, they get to drop a marble into their water bottle. Each time they filled their water bottle, they would be eligible for pizza and ice cream – a private dinner with Mom or Dad.
It took my children two or three weeks to fill their marble bottles, and each time one of my sons finished filling his jar, he was rewarded with quality time with a parent, along with pizza and ice cream.
The results in my home were nearly miraculous. The children actually asked, “Mom, what can I clean up now?” They raced to be the first one to put away the groceries after my weekly trip to the supermarket.
Sometimes I made announcements such as, “Five marbles for whomever wants to vacuum the living room!” or “Ten marbles for anyone who wants to clean out the van!”
As the months went by, we changed the incentive for the children several times. There were a few weeks where a jar filled with marbles could earn my sons a new book at Barnes and Noble, a movie, or the ability to choose our weekly Saturday afternoon family trip. By changing up the prizes, we were able to maintain the boys’ interest in the marble program for the past six months, and we plan to keep it up until they reach that age when they want to keep the house clean!
Ellen C. Braun is the founder of RaisingSmallSouls.com, a global parenting resource. She is involved in a variety of projects to help parents, babies, and children of all ages. She is currently reviewing baby gear such as the Britax Boulevard, the Britax Roundabout, and the Britax Marathon car seats to help parents make informed decisions.
Related articles:
Getting Your Child to Help with Chores
Kids and Chores - Make it Easy on Yourself!
Chaos, Children, and Chores
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