We have started a chore chart for Maggie here at the House of Hills. It has been a very interesting process thus far.

It all started when we realized Maggie really needed to learn that she needs to Give, Save, and Spend her money – not just spend it. This always becomes clear at Christmas when she is blessed with so many presents and then wants to take her Christmas money out to buy more toys (which she of course doesn’t need).

Mommy started three jars with Maggie just after Christmas – one for money she can spend, one for money that will go in the bank, and one for money to give to someone in need (church or charity). All the money she had was divided between the three. She liked the whole concept of money she could see in jars a lot! It was also an amazing math lesson – she can now tell you what four quarters equals in a heartbeat.

Of course, then she wanted me to just give her more money to put in the jars. That’s where the chores chart came in. We had been discussing chores and asking her to do them, but hadn’t come up with a good, formal process.

Maggie now has a chart of things she is asked to do daily. Some of them have become a requirement, like unpack your backpack and do your homework, but others are really a choice, like make your bed and do practice work (handwriting practice). For each chore she completes, she gets a sticker. Each sticker is worth five cents. We’ll add it all up on Sunday and split it between her jars.

It has been really interesting to watch her take such ownership of things I’ve been asking her to do forever. This morning she came downstairs and said “I already made my bed!” She was so proud of herself for remembering without looking at the chart. What a big girl she has become!