Hi! Summer's just around the corner for my two school age children (ages 11 & 8). I am a SAHM and freelance writer so we will have pretty flexible schedules minus swim team and a couple of day camps. In the summer, we increase the amount of chores for them b/c they just have more time and I each year I try to add something new for them to learn so they will be able to do things for themselves when they grow older! (i.e. ironing for my 11 year old this year, sorting and washing laundry or dishes for my 8 year old).
We have a loose reward system set up for when they get their chores done, they can cash in their pebbles (we use glass pebbles to keep track) for different rewards. I have a variety of rewards that "cost" pebbles so they can save up their pebbles or choose to spend them each week.
I'd like to add to our options and include more non-monetary or low-cost ideas for some variety. Some of the things we already have are get to stay up later (even more late than our usual summer-late), pick a movie or game for family night, etc. We have some other low-cost things like go for ice cream/yogurt or higher cost things like go to the movies or some other fun entertainment place. Things like library trips are a given as we do that weekly.
Any other creative ideas for rewards/encouragement activities for kids at this age? TIA for your help!
how's about choosing a chore they don't HAVE to do??? That was always one of my kids' favorites!! :)
The absolute best rewards, and the ones that create the best memories, are the ones spent with you one-on-one:
a picnic lunch at the park
a bike ride or hike
a beauty salon/spa day where you do their hair, nails, etc. (or my daughter liked doing mine)
a baking or cooking opportunity to make whatever they want (they get to find the recipe, make the shopping list, and buy the items - builds suspense)
my daughter loved moving her bedroom furniture around
their choice of a board game for the family to play
a coupon where Mom or Dad has make their bed and clean their room
a back or foot rub during their favorite TV show
Choose the meal for certain nights of the week.
Teach them how to cook.
Or do they already know how?
That can be a task that they do over the summer.
My Mom did that with us, as kids. Every summer, we learned how to cook from her.
My kids are 9 and 5. I have always taught them how to cook, and they can now, per their ages.
We don't pay our kids for chores. Because, it is something they should do anyway, for being a PART of the family. It is familial responsibility.
But we do praise them for what they do, and for things they go above and beyond about. My daughter, will wash the windows too and the screens. She mops and vacuums. And I don't even have to nag her to do it. She even will wash our van. She likes to. So for those "big" jobs... I will sometimes give her something... for the hard work she did on her own volition and didn't even expect... a "reward."
For my son as well.
We don't go about rewarding or paying our kids for every little chore they do. We just teach them that they are a part of the family, this is their house too... and we ALL take a part in taking care of it.
It teaches them responsibility and thoughtfulness and empathy. Not just about doing it for a reward or cash payment.
I don't want them to do things, if they only expect money or a reward. That is not the point.
We occasionally use choice as a 'reward'. If my youngster is doing well in a certain area, we might reward him with the privilege of choosing the restaurant we'll go to (he gets to choose from two adult selections), choosing the meal at dinnertime or which park he wants to go to.
You might also go to the store and stock up with $20 of arts and crafts supplies, too. Markers, modeling clay, stickers, etc. They could buy them with X amount of pebbles. Decks of cards, puzzle books, etc. Think about their interests and find some small items which might augment them, too.
the children I nanny for have to earn things
ex:
sleep overs both to go to friends and or to have friends over
screen time (they get half hour a day any more is earned screen time is considered, tv, video game, computer and hand held games)
treats such as ice cream, candy etc
trips otu to play at parks, skating rinks, etc
play time with mom / dad / grandma / grandpa this would be for one on one time
How about a sleep over with a friend or relative. My kids are always asking for sleepovers, especially in the summer because we set up a tent and let them sleep outside, of course with my right inside keeping an eye on them and getting a sleepless night, lol! A special craft activity together, there are some pretty cool inexpensive ones at Michaels and I always find good reward things on clearance at various stores.
Season passes. It's a big initial investment, but pays off all year. I bought 6flags season passes. The kids dont know I bought season passes :) So, it was $60 bucks each initially, but we can go as often as we want. I always make them do a lot to earn the trip. You might be close to a water park or something else that has season passes.
They also get to earn trips to the lake and park that are around the corner from our house. We would be going anyway, but the kids don't know that :)
How about something like:
-new inexpensive bedding if you keep your room clean for 2 weeks w/o being told?
-new inexpensive towels for their bathroom if they keep it clean for 2 weeks
-a new t-shirt
-teaching your oldest one to cook an easy meal
