Anyone who is a parent knows the struggle of keeping your wonderful kiddos on top of their chores. As the father of two young and arguably crazy boys, it seems that we could spend the entire day cleaning up their messes. There are many strategies to getting the younglings to take care of their chores and I think I have tried them all. The problem in my house is not getting the kids to help out but more of them cleaning up then dragging out a different room full of toys five minutes later. They seem to not mind helping out most of the time but keeping them focused on the big picture is difficult at best. Today’s kids are growing up in a different age than most of us did. Technology is something they know as the norm in the world. They use it as the only thing they know. When I found MyJobChart, it seemed to be the perfect solution to get my kids actively engaged in their daily chores.
MyJobChart allows for parents to set up a web site with a list of jobs for their kids with assignable point values. As the kids earn points, they have their own rewards store where they trade points for items chosen by the parents. The screen shot above shows the login screen. Each member of the family has their own password and avatars are used so it is easy to tell the accounts apart. My kids are obviously too young to log in themselves, but we sit down each evening and add the points for the day. The parent accounts are different from the kids and this is where the jobs are assigned and points and rewards are chosen.
Setting up each child’s account is quick and easy. Click on the child’s name and assign their jobs. The dashboard will allow you to easily manage any part of the website from users to jobs to rewards.
Assigning jobs is super simple. First, choose which child the job is for. Most of our jobs are for both of mine, but there are a few that are unique to each of them. Once the kid is chosen, a job is picked. A large list of jobs are provided, but custom job names can be created. Most of the jobs we created are for every day with a few marked as extra jobs. The option is provided to choose specific days and what time of the day. Add more jobs, review currents jobs or finish and you are all set.
Once the jobs and points are assigned it is time to complete the jobs. We check in to claim points each night after baths and just before bed. Each job is listed under the user account. Simply click on a job that is completed and the points will be added to the total. It literally takes only minutes each night to complete the list.
We decided to create a range of rewards ranging from some iPhone time to a happy meal to a new Wii game. Riley, my three year old is not really sure how the points work, he just knows he wants them. Peyton, my five year old, is an avid gamer and fully understands and loves the point system. He has decided that no points will be redeemed until he has enough to buy a new Wii game. In fact, every night he has to ask how many points he needs to get a new game.
The first question most of you probably are asking is , “does this work?” The answer is a resounding yes. The kids’ beds are always made, their room has stayed clean and they never seem to forget to brush their teeth or put their toys away. All it has taken is a quick reminder and a statement about their points. Last night, my wife walked through the living room and said it was so nice not having to pick up toys or argue with the boys to get ready for their bath. For us, this system is working right now and working well. You can really set up the system to work any way seen fit. Maybe the rewards can be cash or something valuable for older kids. Try out the system and see if it works.
What I like: MyJobChart is free, easy to use and works! My kids are learning a valuable lesson about completing their jobs and earning rewards.
What could be improved: I think if my kids keep up the good work, this could cost me a few Wii game purchases. It could end up getting expensive! LOL
MyJobChart Web Site Review: A Fun Way To Track Kids’ Chores http://bit.ly/cNPl5C
Great review of MJC by Travis at geardiary.com http://tinyurl.com/2cx8hbg http://fb.me/DSbisINN
RT @geardiary: MyJobChart Web Site Review: A Fun Way To Track Kids' Chores #Desktop Software http://bit.ly/9r86ON
MyJobChart Web Site Review: A Fun Way To Track Kids' Chores | Gear …: Setting up each child's account is quick a… http://bit.ly/aVU2xS