We (try to) run a pretty tight ship over here at the Wright house.
Let me tell you – parenting can be a truly tricky thing. One minute you’re completely enamored (and distracted) by these little people who are just SO DARN CUTE – you just want to give them everything. And then at other times, you’re wondering how in the world did they get to be so old and so bossy and SO loud in public. A good mix of love, responsibility, GRACE, discipline, and affection go into making good kids truly GREAT ones.
And I think Henry and Clara are pretty great.
Travis and I try to teach responsibility the HANDS ON way, through involvement in daily tasks and chores. If they need something, anything, we’ll teach them how to do it for themselves (example: Henry can now buckle himself in and out of the car and we’re currently working on teaching him to bathe himself.) If it’s a task that takes time out of my day and could teach my kids better habits and self-improvement, I’m going to take the time to make sure they A) know how to do it and B) know how to do it properly so that I’m not constantly coming behind them and “fixing” it. <-this is a huge no-no for a child’s self-esteem. Go here to find out my philosophy about that.
Some of our current age-appropriate chores include: making beds, sorting laundry, cleaning up and organizing toys, brushing teeth, putting away dishes (the ones that are down on their level and NO SHARP KNIVES) and dusting (again, things on their level).
When ChoreMonster contacted us about trying out their web and mobile apps, I knew it was a natural fit. Through ChoreMonster, kids can earn points by completing chores that they can turn in for real life rewards like ice cream, an hour of Xbox or even a canoe trip.
The app is geared toward ages 4-12 so Henry and Clara are a little on the young side BUT in having used it for the past few months, I’ve noticed one thing: they LOVE technology (specifically, they love my iPhone (I’ve downloaded about 15 different apps for them – some educational, some fun games). They also LOVE being rewarded for completing chores. With ChoreMonster, I assign points to specific tasks (example: making your bed equals 5 points) and then I assign a reward for completed points (example: earn 50 points and you get to pick out a toy at the store). Henry and Clara are LOVING this (we hadn’t really implemented a reward system before trying out the app and even still, I have them do some things that are NOT rewarded because we still want to teach them selflessness and teamwork).
The company also has a companion app called ChorePicker, that helps parents identify chores for kids (based on age), and shows the kids how to complete the chores. We use this companion app to keep things interesting for Clara since her chores are more limited (cleaning up toys, brushing teeth, etc). After exploring ChoreMonster for a couple of months, we’re using it on a daily basis and love the outcome that it’s produced in our kids! If you’re interested in exploring this app for your own family, ChoreMonster is giving away FREE 1 Month Subscriptions to all Lindsay’s List readers! Go here to get started!
QUESTION: If you’re a mama, how do you teach your children responsibility?? What types of apps do you have on your phone (I love sharing these good ones like ChoreMonster. Some of our other favorites include: DoodleBuddy, Endless ABC, Escape Challenge and 123 Tracing)?
splendid…lindsay
** I received this opportunity through Canopi to partner with ChoreMonster and review their product for compensation. All opinions expressed are my own!
I would love more posts on topics like this! My little one is only 6 months, but I’m already concerned with how we’re going to parent/discipline/guide as she gets older!
I think this is awesome! I’m with you on the cute thing sometimes getting in the way of the giving them responsibility. I wonder sometimes if I still do too much for my 15 and almost 13 year old. I’m working with them a lot on cooking now. They are good about rotating laundry, taking the trash out, cleaning their own rooms, helping with dishes and other miscellaneous choirs, but I really just want them to be responsible of themselves and their surroundings. I don’t want to put too much on them because that’s what my mom did to me and I now HATE every chore! I also don’t ever ask them to do anything while I sit and do nothing. I always ask them to help or we do something together. That’s a huge rule I have. We teach by example and I really do think that helps with them not feeling like they’re doing it alone and it shows them the right way to do something so it doesn’t hurt their self esteem by me correcting what they’ve done wrong. Now it’s time to teach the oldest how to drive…