Thursday, June 9, 2011

Summer goals!


This pic was taken in Chicago when we visited Dave's dad at the Rehab Institute.  Here's to hoping our summer will look this happy and cheerful with team cooperation : )

A few people asked me to share the behavior/discipline plan that Dave and I came up with for our kids this summer.  It really is a mixture of lots of advice and other people's ideas fit for our family.  Hope this might help anyone looking for something new or just an idea starter!

Our goals:
1. Behavior
2. Chores
3. Spiritual discipline of prayer/reading the Word
4. Begin learning concept of tithing/saving/spending

Method:
1. Charts (we found great free printable behavior/chore charts on internet -thanks Karen Beaty!)
2. Reward of $ (again found really fun printable play $ online.. even found a site that you can print your kids faces on the bills, heehee)

How it works:
1. Each boy has a chart with 5 things they need to do every day 
2. They receive a sticker for each thing they accomplish each day
3. Stickers are worth 10cents a piece with the potential of earning 50 cents/day
     *For added incentive I let each child pick their own stickers out at the store

5 things:
1. There are 2 behaviors(ie. complaining, fighting with siblings, annoying siblings, etc)
     *they get 3 strikes and then they are out... which means they receive 2 warnings per behavior before they lose a sticker

2. There are 2 chores(ie. clean room, set table, trash, water flowers, etc)

3. There is 1 spiritual discipline(ie. read the Bible and prayer journal)
      -Read 1 Chapter a day of a book of the Bible(in progression)
      -Write or draw a picture in summary of what the chapter was about
      -Write out Prayer Points:
            a. PRAISE- write a praise for God
            b. THANKS- write a thank you to God for something
            c.  SORRY-  write you are sorry for a specific sin
            d.  HELP-  write and ask God to help you with something

Extras:
1.  Boys get an extra dollar at the end of each week IF they get a perfect chart for the week
2.  We are implementing the tithing(10%), saving(50%), spending(40%) as they receive their $
3.  Boys are only required  to do spiritual discipline 5 times/wk... so they get 2 FREE stickers/wk.

Overall thoughts:
I am SO excited!!  Things are going really well.  My favorite thing is the journals!  The boys are reading through Joshua and LOVE it.  They don't even want to take a break and plan to do it 7 days/wk.  One thing I know has really helped is how we introduced the whole idea.  I've been prepping them for weeks plus we have been building it up and speaking confidence into them that we KNOW they can do it : )  

The other thing we have done is we have UNPLUGGED for the summer(all technology, yippee!).  It's amazing how the complaining about when do they get to have their "screen" time each day and "can't we just finish this level" is NON-EXISTENT!  We will have exceptions on Saturday mornings for mom and dad to "sleep in" and for family nights(which vary week to week).  I highly recommend taking the leap : )

Oh, and we are doing sticker charts with the girls too!  They have a chart for 1 targeted behavior.  Right now we are working on not coming into mommy and daddy's bed in the middle of the night.  And like the boys, it's working!!!  4 out of the last 6 nights!!

Hope you all have a great summer!

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