We’ve been using the system for about a week now.  Here’s my honest opinion.

Benefits:

• Less nagging from mom.
• My 3y.o. is learning how to do chores!
• My 11y.o. likes the independence to earn money when he wants.
• Some things are getting done that were never done before (consistent flossing, exercises my daughter NEEDS to do, laying clothes out for the next day, nightly scripture memory).
• There is more order to our mornings and evenings.
• By putting a “get-ticket-from-mom” card on the kids’ boards, I am reminded to give them a ticket, thereby eliminating the mom-burden of keeping track of tickets (this is huge).
• The kids like knowing what is next.
• Dad is learning how to direct their work routines.
• The boards are cute.
• The helping hands card teaches kids to think about others.
• Extra chores empowers kids to earn their own money and learn work ethic.
• The cards are very clear for non-readers.

Difficulties:

• Set-up and preparation are pretty involved.
• Occasional tweaking will be necessary.
• I’d like a greater variety of chore cards included in the pack.
• It might be overwhelming at times if your kids aren’t enthusiastic about it.
• It takes parent supervision — welcome to having kids!  For example, if you don’t check that they actually cleaned their room, the system won’t work very well.  You have to be consistent with evaluating chores and giving or withholding tickets.  You must be willing to let them experience negative consequences (losing tickets or not earning tickets), or the system won’t work.  Again, welcome to parenting!

Advice:

• If you’ve never used a chore system before, start slowly!!  I would recommend starting with the morning routine and don’t overwhelm the child/children with too many cards.  Be patient to add to it slowly.  Once the morning routine is solid, establish the evening routine.  This may take you months, or a year to fully implement.  It just depends on you and your kids and your situation.  I had already been doing a chore system, so the transition was fairly easy.  You’re going for long-term training, so it doesn’t really matter how long it takes.   What matters is that you teach your kids to work, and to be responsible, and that you stick with it.  If you drive everyone crazy for three weeks, and then quit, then you won’t be any better off than you are now.  Slow and steady wins the race.
• Make cards that say, “get a ticket from mom” (please do this…you’ll thank me later)
• Put a blank card in front of the days’ earned tickets.  It helps you see what they earned in one day.
• Only put out one set of cards at a time for little children (morning, day, evening).
• Type a page of the way you use the system.  It will help you remember what you decided, and it will help your reading children, as well as husband, gramma, etc.
• Actually read the book!  : )
• Listen to your children’s suggestions.
• Don’t get discouraged, it gets smoother with time as everyone gets used to their routine.

AK is a chore system, but not just another “put-a-poster-on-the-wall-and-check-off-boxes”, annoying, trash-it-in-a-week chore system.  I looked at it about a year ago, bookmarked it, and never forgot it.  I do think it’s unique.  In a nutshell, you hang cards on a pegboard.  Each separate chore has its own card (usually…I’m talking in generalities here).  When a chore is completed it is moved from the first peg (“go”) to the second peg (“finished”).  Tickets are earned based on chores completed. Tickets are used for things such as TV, computer, and other special activities (that is up to the parent to decide).  There are various other incentives that can be used as well (best behavior card, privilege pass, date night), but those are peripheral to the basic idea.  I was looking for something that was a better visual reminder than what I currently use.  I have 3 kids and I want to eliminate as many verbal directions as possible; at times being a homechool mother feels like being a drill sargeant!  Another plus is the way kids can earn money (we don’t give allowances) based on the cards hanging on their “extra chores” peg.  Earning money is up to them, and helps them learn responsibility.  When they do an extra chore, they get a special card to hang on their board that looks like money (called a bonus buck).  You pay them once a week.   I see the whole thing as a really good communication tool.

Graham’s Routine (3.5y.o.)

Morning Routine:

• breakfast
• carry over your dishes
• silverware
• helping hands
• brush teeth
• pajamas away
• get dressed
• push chairs in
• carry things to room (toys laying around, etc.)
• get ticket from mom

(Note:  Yes, most of these things take some degree of supervision, but it’s an improvement over the haphazard manner of our former mornings.)

Day Routine:

• school time with mom
• pick up toys before lunch
• lunch
• go potty
• quiet resting time
• play time in room
• get ticket from mom

Evening Routine:

• dinner
• clear table (helps do this)
• brush teeth
• clean room
• bath
• put dirty clothes in basket
• pajamas
• lay out clothes for tomorrow
• get ticket from mom

Abigail’s Routine (6.5y.o.)

Morning routine:

• walk and feed dog
• do stretches
• eat breakfast, clean up your dishes and breakfast area
• wash cup and fill water bottle
• make ice
• brush hair
• brush teeth
• neaten bathroom counters and towels, pick up stuff off the floor
• get dressed
• make bed
• reminder:  room should be clean from last night, if not, DO IT NOW
• on time for school (7:30)
• get ticket from mom

Day Routine:

• practice violin (earns an additional ticket)
• put away school materials before lunch
• walk dog
• helping hands
• get ticket from mom

Evening Routine:

• do stretches
• review memory verse
• clean room
• lay out clothes for tomorrow
• set alarm clock
• bath
• brush teeth
• floss teeth
• pajamas
• on time (8:00)
• get ticket from mom

A few things that I love, love, love…

I love putting the “get ticket from mom” card right after each set of chores (morning, day, and evening).  Oh my goodness, this is beautiful!  In the past when we’ve done ticket systems, it highly annoyed me that I forgot to give tickets, couldn’t remember who I’d given a ticket, etc., etc.  Well, even if I don’t give a ticket right away, there’s this precious little card hanging there on the first peg, just waiting patiently for mommy to have a minute to move it over to the finish peg when I give the ticket.  It’s like an I.O.U.  I’m really hoping the AK folks will read this and begin including a boatload of this little cards in their pack.  I had to make my own.

Another thing I’m lovin’ is the “helping hands” card.  What genius!  Even if it is not yet spontaneous, it does my mama-heart good to hear my children ask if there’s anything they can do to help.  I put each child’s HH card at a different time of day so the help would be spread out.

I love giving a “Best Behavior” card for music practice!  OH, yeah!  It’s great.  I practice with my 6y.o. and so often she is complaining and not following directions.  Now, she is positive and attentive.  We set a timer for 20 minutes, and when the timer goes off, I tell her if she earned her BB card.  (If I tell her she lost it early in the practice session, she’ll be downcast and the practice session will for sure be fruitless.)  This really keeps her focused and positive.  Hope it continues to work for a long time!  So just to review, my kids get a separate ticket JUST for practicing their instruments, and then my 6y.o. also gets a best behavior card for a good attitude.  I’m going to do this with lessons as well.

Another thing that is working out BEAUTIFULLY is using their evening routine to reinforce scripture memory.  They have a time in their morning school for scripture memory, but at night, it is on their evening routine to say or read their memory verse again.  And what I really LOVE about it, is that I have their scriptures on notecards on a ring and I hang those on our family meeting board.  As they’re standing in front of their chore board, they can just reach up, get the cards, read/quiz the verse, and hang it up again.  So efficient.  So lovely.

My 3y.o. continues to be an enthusiastic chore boy!  Today he said to me, “Thank you, Mommy for getting them for us.”  (I then asked, “Getting what, Graham.”)  “Our chore boards!  I love them!”  Isn’t that just so sweet!?  LOVE THESE KIDS!

(P.S.  My kids are not perfect, nor am I.  As evidence, I just got the book “Strong-Willed Child” today from the library.  I still have so much to learn, and need so much grace from our Lord to become the mom He wants me to be.  There is always hope when we look to HIM.)