July 7, 2017
Chore Candy
We have a neat little system with a chore chart on the refrigerator and set amounts for specific chores completed. This has worked well for about twelve years. When a job is done, Mom or Dad (or big sister) checks it and puts the amount on the chart under the helper’s name. On Saturday, if all school work is completed, we would add up the amounts and “take money” off the chart. They would then decide if they wanted it in their savings account or to spend. *(the picture was taken after Rebeccah and Kimberly pulled all their extra money off to buy guppies)
Then on one fun day at Betty Griffin Thrift looking for a bookcase, we discovered a Candy Machine. You know; the kind you stick coins in and get candy or nuts. It was bright powder blue and Christina says “Mom! This would solve the candy problem and help motivate us for chores!” (This is coming from my teenager – “candy problem” was that I don’t buy candy.)
It worked and was five bucks. Yes. I bought it. We made the “candy machine rules.”
#1: you must ask mom first, two coins a day is enough candy
#2: whatever money is in the machine after the candy is gone will be used to buy the next batch of candy/nuts
#3: mom has to approve said candy/nuts
#4: disobeying rules means candy machine gets donated right back
Then this started happening: I’d hear, “I’m done with school, I did xyz, may I take 25 cents off my chart for candy?” Or they’d see nothing on the chart under their name and want to know what chores needed doing. (Motivational tool, check)
The girls raised $6 and change in their first “batch” ($1 worth of jelly beans). They bought more candy and set their own additional rules which they have been following for the last three weeks. They added:
#5: money comes off the chart in quarters only when being used for the machine
#6: excess money “made” off the candy machine goes into a savings envelope
#7: each girl gets to pick a candy/nut and mix it together each time they reload
#8: (appears to apply to the three oldest only) if you take money off for candy, you have to put the same amount in your savings account
Now they have “raised” about $25 in a little over a month and asked me to help them print a chart so they can keep it in the envelope with their “candy machine” savings money to track their big goal progress. I asked what the “big goal” was – all I was told in reply was “at this rate, it will take three years.”
They discovered that if they load dark chocolate into the machine, Daddy uses it too! So with each new batch, they’ve been sure to add dark chocolate almonds or dove bites (that mix went fast and I’m sure Daddy was probably their #1 customer – he was always asking “do you have a quarter?”)
They turned the “chore motivation” tool into a “saving for a big goal” tool!
Thanks for reading!
Type at you next time…
~Nancy Tart