Parenting tip - Children's Chore cards

I use Children's chore cards at my houseas an incentive for my children to do chores around the house. 

I use a simple 3x5 index card. At the top is their name and that week's dates. Under is a list of chores your child is capable of achieving and the amount they are paid each time they perform that specific chore.

I decide my chores based on realistic goals for their ages. My nine year old can do more than my six year old and my three year old can do the least of all. So the tasks will vary. The earnings for each task reflect on hard the task is. For example when you take out the kitchen trash or the recycling it is easy. They close up the bag and throw it into our garage holder in the garage. It takes less than 1 minute making it worth .25. Also, this is a job just for my nine year old, because my six year old is too short. However, the upstairs trash is different. There are many little trash cans to dump into one bag and then haul down stairs and then it will be taken out to the garabage holder. This task takes more time and energy. My kids can use team work and both make .75 cents each.

Each week we start over with a fresh card on Sunday. All week long I keep track of the chores they have done by placing a star next to the actvity. On Saturday I total it up and they get their 'pay day'. They look forward to pay day and are always excited. Last week they both made $1.75 each. They were happy to make so much money!

On a week where I have had to ask too many times for them to do something or they have given me attitude I make them complete their tasks with no compensation. They lose the privilage of Earning money. I want them to recognize that we enjoy rewarding them, but only if they can have a good attitude without complaining.