Marbles behavior
and chore system!
It is VERY important
to teach our kids to be thankful for what
God has blessed our family with. 1 Thess. 5:18 says “give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We all want
to hear those blessed words “Well done good and faithful servant”. So, let’s bring
it into the home!
Whether we have a
little, or a lot, God has blessed us! Now, when we look at our possessions as
not ours, but as God’s, how are we to take care of them? If God gave us a gift would we
toss it on the floor? Step on it? Allow it to get broken, dirty and
finally thrown away? NO we wouldn’t! We would be extra careful to take good
care of it and treat it with the respect.
So as PARENST we have
to teach our little and big ones the our homes, our furniture, our toys, our
animals, and our siblings are all gifts from God. They are not ours, they
belong to Him, and we have received them out of love from our Lord. So we
must take care of them.
Make a list of desirable behaviors and responsibility’s (chores) that
your child needs to learn. If using the marble system, focus on one or two
specific goals for intensive behavior change. Or, make a list of generally
desirable behaviors, such as cooperation, honesty, kindness, and responsibility’s.
Then, you decide when to reward the child with a marbles when he exhibits these
qualities.
 |
| Chore sticks!! |
Now make a list of undesirable behaviors that your child may exhibit. You
will need this list to clearly identify
the specific behaviors that will cause your child to lose marbles (fines).
Some examples of undesirable behaviors that could be fined are non-compliance
with a parent's request, arguing, talking back, hitting, kicking pulling away
from parent, and tantrums etc.
Most important
both parents must be on the same page with this system. It will not work if you
are not on the same team!
 |
| Finger nail polish works great to fancy up some old mason jars!! |
As you see
your child display good behaviors you will need to tell them and give them a
marble… once they are doing the good behavior all the time you will no longer
need to reward them!
The idea
behind this is simple. God has given us a house full of things to take care of
so let’s be faithful! You will need to make sticks or cards with chores on them,
for younger ones you may need to make them with pictures. Each child is given approximately
3-4 chores per day to complete. When they complete their chore, they lay the
sticks in front of their jar.
Please remember not to give more chores then they
can do in the time give!! My kiddos have less they do on days we have church
and sports etc.
 |
| As my kiddos get their jobs done they lay the stick in front of the jar, if at the end of the day they do not have all the stick done they get same ones the next day.. I only give marble for the stick that are done right if they need help that is ok. |
At the end
of the day, look to see which tasks are completed and switch them out with marbles. At the end of the day
or week, allow your child to spend his marbles. Prize box
rewards will usually cost one or two marbles. The items in a small prize box are gum, candy,
erasers, pencils, 5 Minutes phone time etc. The price is higher for larger rewards, such as an hour of choosing his or her
favorite TV programs, dinner out with the family at the child's favorite
restaurant or staying the night at a friend’s. You could
also choose to let your kids exchange their marbles for money, we
pay $0.25/marble. This way they can save their money for
something they want to buy, we also encourage them to tithe and save some of
that as well.
A few very important
items of note as you peruse this list:
§ ALWAYS try to include your children in what you are already
doing.
§ Give them chances to lead.
§ Respect their personalities and natural abilities while
realizing the need to stretch and grow them.
§ Don’t give up! Teaching responsibility is a worthy
goal and something our culture sorely lacks. Press on, mama!!
**There is work to be
done and children must be a part of this work. However, they also must see you working hard too. They must feel
like they are part of something bigger and their part matters. And
remember that older children can still do the things that the younger children
do, just because they are no longer in that age group does not me they get out
of doing it!
Take this list, tweak
it for your family’s needs, and let your children begin to demonstrate
responsibility by helping around the home!
Blow is a list of ages and the chores they are able to do! Also an example of rules that we use!! happy planning !!
D-Faith Farm rules 3
stricks you are out!!
We do not say: We
do not: Car
rules:
Shut up Hit,
kick, push or trip Buckle
up
Butt head throw
in the house Hand to ourselves
Liar Talk
back & no attitude Quiet when asked
Stupid No
yelling No yelling
Idiot Slam
doors, Run in house/jump on furniture
*We DO NOT whine or
throw a fit *
* We use our WORDS and
talk NICE*
For saying thing we are not supposed
to. First time warning, second time you will lose a
marble, third time two marble. If it happens after that you will lose three marbles
and get time out!
For doing things we do not do. First time lose a marble and time
out, second time 2 marbles and two chores without marble being paid. If it happens
a third time they will lose 4 marbles and get bedroom time the rest of the day!
See a need fill and need. Spot check threw out the day. Spot cleaning
is something we do as being part of the family. Picking up and putting back
anything that is need. No Marble given for this!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chores!!
9– 12 Months
- help put
away toys
-turn
off lights, reach for towels, take out plastic dishes and/or cups and
silverware for meals with your help, etc (as in you hold them and they reach
with your hands guiding all the while)
1
– 2 years old
- help put away toys
- use proper “manners” with please, thank you, excuse me, sorry
-
help with Tidy Time (be sure to give specific direction)
- help with bedroom chores like making the bed, putting dirty clothes in
hamper, putting socks in drawers
- wipe down furniture with a rag - help clean up their own messes (if they spill a glass of water, they
can help by getting a towel and doing their best to wipe it up)
- simple errands like putting a diaper in the trash or picking up a toy
for baby
- help sort laundry
- take their own
dishes to the sink after meals
- wipe down chairs for Table Chores
- help with more complicated and specific errands (like being able to
tell them to put a certain dish away in a certain cupboard without actually
having to stand over them)
- guided help with putting away their own laundry
- help load cart and unload cart at
grocery store and help bring in groceries from van at home
- begin helping with outside chores so they can see how things work
(essential if you are on a farm)
- continue to expand chores listed above
-
learn to make bed (this is the very reason we do not use top sheets – too
difficult for little hands)
- learn to follow morning chore list
- begin establishing regular
chores like putting away outside toys before Daddy mows or dusting living room
blinds with a static duster
- learn to get their drinks by themselves
3-4
year olds
help dust
put napkins on table
help put away toys
put laundry in hamper
help feed pet
4-7year olds
put napkins on table
help put away toys
put laundry in hamper
help feed pet
4-7year olds
- "Help" is
the important word at this age. Many of the chores will be done as a helper and
slowly kids can graduate to doing them independently!
set the table or help
set the table
put away toys/things
help feed pets
water plants
help make bed
dust
put laundry in hamper
help put dishes in dishwasher
water the garden
help wipe up messes
help with yard work(rake with child's rake or plant flowers, etc.)
help clear table
help put away groceries
8-10 year olds
make bed
water plants
clean room with direction
set the table
clear the table
dust
vacuum
feed pets (depends on type of pet and how your comfortable your child is interacting with the pet)
help make dinner
put laundry in hamper
help wash the car
help wash dishes
help load/empty dishwasher
rake leaves
take out the trash
11 year olds and older
take garbage out
set the table
clear the table
clean room with direction
put away groceries
clean the bathroom without directions
clean the kitchen
dust
vacuum
mow lawn
feed pets
water plants
put laundry in hamper
help with laundry and eventually start doing own laundry
put away toys/things
help feed pets
water plants
help make bed
dust
put laundry in hamper
help put dishes in dishwasher
water the garden
help wipe up messes
help with yard work(rake with child's rake or plant flowers, etc.)
help clear table
help put away groceries
8-10 year olds
make bed
water plants
clean room with direction
set the table
clear the table
dust
vacuum
feed pets (depends on type of pet and how your comfortable your child is interacting with the pet)
help make dinner
put laundry in hamper
help wash the car
help wash dishes
help load/empty dishwasher
rake leaves
take out the trash
11 year olds and older
take garbage out
set the table
clear the table
clean room with direction
put away groceries
clean the bathroom without directions
clean the kitchen
dust
vacuum
mow lawn
feed pets
water plants
put laundry in hamper
help with laundry and eventually start doing own laundry
13 year olds and older
- begin contributing to the family’s
“think tank” by being a part of certain family decisions, financial planning,
and logistics and brainstorming
- begin taking on paying jobs (whether outside or inside the home)
- begin learning “adult” tasks and chores like vehicle maintenance, handy-man jobs, and the creating of schedules and routines
- begin taking on paying jobs (whether outside or inside the home)
- begin learning “adult” tasks and chores like vehicle maintenance, handy-man jobs, and the creating of schedules and routines
I Pray that this is a blessing to someone as it has been for me!!
