Chore Rewards?

[momneedscoffee]

So I have 2 3 year old boys, one is my son. They are fully capable of helping but they (mostly my son ) are very resistant to help out (pick up, wipe table, clear lunch plates...just simple chores). So I was thinking of maybe starting some kind of sticker chart and offering a reward after they earn 5-10 stickers? Does anyone do something like this for daycare or just their own kids? I'm just looking for some inspiration. I know they should just do as they're asked, but I lack the patience and figured this would give them a little incentive and make it more fun!

[Blackcat31]

So I have 2 3 year old boys, one is my son. They are fully capable of helping but they (mostly my son ) are very resistant to help out (pick up, wipe table, clear lunch plates...just simple chores). So I was thinking of maybe starting some kind of sticker chart and offering a reward after they earn 5-10 stickers? Does anyone do something like this for daycare or just their own kids? I'm just looking for some inspiration. I know they should just do as they're asked, but I lack the patience and figured this would give them a little incentive and make it more fun!

Do you have other daycare kids besides the boys?
Do they willing clean up when asked?

[momneedscoffee]

Do you have other daycare kids besides the boys?
Do they willing clean up when asked?

Yes but they are almost 2, 1, and 6 months so yeah

[Thriftylady]

Meh, the incentive here has always been the sooner we get our work done the sooner we can have fun.

[Blackcat31]

Yes but they are almost 2, 1, and 6 months so yeah

I'd randomly reward them. (with whatever works..... a sticker, big praise or an M&M etc.)

If the others are cleaning up simply because you asked them to then thats when I randomly reward but I dont like telling kids ahead of time that if they do x they will get a reward.

Then they are just doing it for the reward.
Eventually, I want them to do it because its the right thing to do.

[yodaone]

Cleaning Up

Starting fresh on a Monday, I've been known to make a "new" expectation. Of course it's not "new," it's just something we've gotten away from doing. "Today we are going to clean off our plates and put them in the dishpan." Very enthusiastically of course. It's got to be fun, right?! Then I model how to scrape the food off my plate and then take it to the dish pan.
I've found that having a dishpan that they can actually reach, helps the kiddos feel more capable and able to be independent and then they actually enjoy that feeling of being responsible for their things. So it's a reward just to be able to clean and put your plate away.
I also just focus on one "chore" at a time. That's not to say I don't expect my kiddos to do the other things, like putting their toys away. But when things have been off track, I think it's important to just focus on one skill at a time.

[Unregistered]

Rewards are short lived.

(I've had great success with just a sticker chart. I make them out of tag board. Each child has a strip with their name. It helps them to learn how to read their name and friends' name too. I cut them out a the end of the month and put them in their cubby. And really there has been upset kids when they don't get a sticker!)

I have better luck:
setting up expectations - often! Even before they start to play. Stating rules, practicing what it looks like to clean up, etc.

not allowing a child to get something else out before they have picked up current toys.

being consistent and teaching them what it means to clean up. Talking about the giant mess we'd have, how everyone has jobs to do, what my child care jobs are..cleaning, cooking, hugs, teaching, helping to clean up up and how important everyone's job is. I tell them how I really need their help and how much thankful I am of the help. I might have to do this on and off at circle time for quite awhile or for a week or so straight. And then revisit it!

Using a cd with a great clean up song. Mine is an older cd..Kathy Poelker has a great one!

Not having too many toys out or too many with lots of pieces.

"Helping" with the hand over hand technique..not really a favorite!

I have a pair of child's binoculars ( u can use your hands or make some out of toilet paper tubes) and I use them each time at clean up. As the clean up song is playing I say, " I see Levi cleaning up, I see Charlotte cleaning up, etc. works quite well!

Some may not agree with this but if nothing else works I will push a few toys to the side and tell ________ he can't play next time until that pile is cleaned up. I will leave it there and follow through and say it's your choice you can clean up toys from last time or do puzzles and table toys. It's your choice.

These things work well, but at time it's still a challenge till we work through it!

[CalCare]

Kids love to be in charge of other kids so I noticed something that is really motivating for cleanup is getting to be the one who 'rings the bell'. I don't do it cause I don't have a bunch of kids or space to spread the word to that it is clean up time. But I've seen it used. So have a bell or two and let one or two kids ring the bell as the walk around announcing 'clean up time'. They only get to do it for a few minutes and then they have to go join the actual cleaning up! They all want to ring the bell (and tell the other kids what to do, ha!). But what can make it motivational is when you see a child cleaning super good , you can say, "oh, Johnny you are cleaning so much, you get to go on the bell ringer list!" Then seriously write the kids name on that list and don't drop the ball! It's useless if he doesn't actually get to ring the bell when his turn comes along. Also, the message of going on the list, not 'you get to do it next time' will make it so you don't mess it all up when you forget and tell 3 different kids they get to do it next time.