The blogging world has a whole lot of information and ideas to share. Personally, I've taken a lot, and I've been thinking of ways to give back more frequently. So I've decided each time I use a "freebie" from my favorite bloggers, I will post a freebie of my own.
Freebie #1…Bid Kid Coupons
Perhaps, sharing these coupons airs more of our family's dirty laundry, but friends have responded positively to them and confess to implementing a similar system. We started using these about a year ago when D's sense of entitlement was at an all time high, and his family contribution was at an all time low! Immediate course correction was needed. I tried the responsibility charts, sticker charts, discussions…everything. As a last ditch effort, I made the "Big Boy" coupons. Success!
I'm not sure why he responded to these. Maybe the size was smaller and less intimidating than a big chart, or perhaps he likes to punch the stars at the bottom.
For each "responsibility" D completes, he gets to punch a star. He's a big-time negotiator. So, we negotiate how many stars he gets for particular achievements, but the REALLY big negotiations occur when he's accumulated a few coupons. He mostly cashes in his coupons for small toys, such as Hot Wheels or Legos, or an activity/outing involving a treat, like a trip to the Ferry Building for gelato or the Japanese Tea Gardens for cookies and green tea.
Does it sound like bribery? Maybe, but the results have been positive. Using this system over the last year, I have noticed D will fulfill most of his responsibilities without asking for a punch; it's second nature. Now, that he's mastered the basics, we've moved on to bigger tasks [and bigger negotiations] such as washing dishes and vacuuming.
I've included two downloadable pdfs, Big Boy Coupons & Big Girl Coupons. My apologies if the color schemes are too gender biased, it was not my intention, I just liked the palette. I hope some of you will get some productive use out of these!
Enjoy,
F&N
ps - Freebie #1 is for Katie's quilt tutorial!
