How it's working for us

Remember the post about poker chips? Well, we started using the method and LOVE it! It has been great! Addie has become so much more helpful, in fact she cleaning her room right now. Here is how we do it:

First of all, I sat down and thought of the things we have the hardest time getting her to do. Then I divided them into two categories: hard and harder. Row one is worth one token and row two is worth two tokens. Here are a few examples from row one: brush teeth, help Mom clean, get hair done. (She generally does these without a fight, but now she even does them cheerfully!) Row two: eat ALL your dinner (that one was a killer!), help fold clothes (she does the rags), clean your room, set the table.

Once or twice a day we sit down and review what she has done. She has to have done it all the way or else she is not rewarded. Once I give her the tokens, she puts in a jar, then we dump them out and she counts them, then we go over what she can "buy."

Here are her rewards, divided into four categories.

For one token she can watch 1 TV show, play 20 minutes of a computer game or call someone. For three she can get a piece of gum (she LOVES gum!!!) or stay up 15 minutes late. For five she can go to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone, get a drink at Sonic or have a friend over. And for ten she can go on a date with Dad or pick out of the treasure box. I still want to add more rewards to each section, but this is just a start. Surprisingly she hasn't bought anything big. I was worried at first that things weren't worth enough, but it's been great!

Here is the treasure box, filled with little toys from Wal-Mart. (ie, a jump rope, bracelets, gum ball machine...)

So far, so good!