Tips for Outside the Box Learning Series: Bribery and Chore Charts

When it comes to teaching our kids, much like parenting them, you have to have an open mind. Each child is unique, blah blah… the truth is sometimes we get desperate for peace and quiet. For the squabbling, the stubbornness, the sheer noise that comes with parenting to stop.

What we want is that peaceful dream we had of homeschooling, where the kids obey the first time and joyfully tackle the schoolwork we give them.

So, my Tip is this: Find your child’s motivator, and go with it.

Find What Motivates Your Child

We all have something that motivates us. My husband goes to work because they pay him (his motivation), he comes home and does his own laundry because he wants clean clothes. He pitches in where needed because he wants peace and a clean(er) home (another motivator).

One daughter just needs to know what to expect a plan and a schedule (her motivator for schoolwork) a chore chart is her best friend. She also wants her siblings to be on board with this, but she’s a kid and will melt down, or have a bad day and start arguments etc. So, part of our chart includes attitude, and I show grace when repentance is shown.

Two of my kids are food motivated. I need to to be on board with the chore chart, for my sanity and to help with the first child’s attitude. Enter bribery (no different than a paycheck). Each child that has a seven good days in a row gets ice cream. Two weeks= a movie night at home, a month = movie out.

This has varied over the years, based on kids ages and how their motivators shift.

But schoolwork isn’t a chore

If you think schoolwork isn’t a chore, then I would politely disagree.

I run a business that I enjoy. It allows for lots of creative outlets, but getting it done daily, is on my chore list. because I need to do it daily, even when I don’t feel like it.

You can create a chore chart and call it something else. Call it a To Do list, a Checkoff list, Daily Accomplishments or Responsibility Sheet. Whatever you call it, it is still something that needs to be done.

Helpful Printables

You can find helpful printables over on my free Printable Resource page, you can get access to them by signing up for my free newsletter below.