We have had SUCH a problem lately with Cassidy doing chores. Things as simple as feeding the cat and making sure she has water. And the cat dishes are in her bathroom which she’s in at least five times a day!! It’s been ongoing and we are all getting frustrated. Ben and I for having to tell her things three or more times a day and Cassidy for listening to us nag. So, after a lot of discussion Ben and I came up with an idea.

Today Cassidy and I went and got a whiteboard and some colored pens and set it up in her room. We broke the day into four sections 1) Morning before school, 2) Homework (right after school), 3) Daily Chores (between homework and 5:30PM, 4) Before Bed. There are things she has to do EVERY DAY and daily chores that change from day to day. As she gets these things done, she crosses them off.

So, now we had to have some kind of incentive to get all this stuff done and Ben and I both agreed that we should focus on positive reinforcement. So if she completes all tasks at the end of the day she gets 10 points. We had her make a list of items she wants and Ben and I assigned each item an amount of points and she gets to use them like money on those items. If she misses even ONE item, no points for the day. We’ll start with this approach and see how things go and change the system as we get it down better. I really hope this works because I really think that it will lead to a happier house for all of us.

And for fun her list (which she can add to as she chooses):