Motivating Our Kids

I want to chat about ways we motivate our kids to do the things we know are most important.  I am putting a magnifying glass on my daily routine to see what I do and what works best.  I will be brainstorming some more, but I want to invite you to comment below and let me know what works best for your family. 

Some things I do with my crew that have really stuck are:

- Using an app on the ipad daily to record chores and reward them with an allowance each week.  The app we use is called Chore Pad.  I believe it cost $2.99.  We use it most everyday.  Every two weeks the boys get their allowance according to how much they have earned on the chart.  We pay them .10 per chore per day.  This can add up to $14, but most of the time we only get to about $10.  It works wonderfully.  The app also rewards with trophies, so the boys can see their progress and feel rewarded in another fun way.

- I reward my kids for getting up extra early by letting them watch tv as I am getting myself and the baby ready for our school day.  This motivates them to get out of bed for something they want to do.  It keeps the arguing to a minimum, otherwise I basically have to pick Isaac up and set him in a bathtub to wake him up and he hates that.  ;)

- I include their daily schoolwork into the chore app.  They cannot check off that they have done their work for the day until it is completely finished.  This works to, because my boys are a little OCD about it and want all of the boxes checked.  It gives them a real feeling of self accomplishment.

- Another way I motivate my kids is to pull them in closer.  Sometimes they legitimately just don't want to do school, just like I don't want to do laundry or wash dishes.  So, I pull them under my arm and take one problem at a time.  I will miss this when they are older.

What does your family do to motivate your kids to get the important stuff done?

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