Lose Teeth and Master Money

The note was written on the computer.

This same note was printed and put under her pillow.

The next morning, she excitedly found and read the note.

I forgot to close down the program on my computer.

Of course, she saw the same note on my computer screen.
"It's you!!!", she delightedly exclaimed.

Yes, I am my kids' tooth fairy! The above vignet really did happen several months ago. I can't believe I didn't close down Print Shop where I had written a cute little note to my daughter from the Tooth Fairy. 

I knew she was already a bit suspicious so I freely told her that I am indeed the Tooth Fairy and she was sworn to secrecy.

Sunday night she bravely pulled out another loose tooth, on her own.

She pulled me aside and whispered, "Can you come tonight?"

Truth be told, I'm not very good at playing Tooth Fairy. She usually doesn't appear for a few days, sometimes a week. I finally get to the point where I have to email myself a reminder. Is it old age or just so many people to manage that my memory can't hold it all? Hopefully, the latter! As far as the reward, the later I am, the more my kids receive to make up for the tardiness. The usual loot is a dollar per tooth plus a candy bar or some gum; this turns a traumatic experience into a delightful one. 

My niece just lost her tooth and her mother explained on Facebook about her "Tooth Fairy" moment, "The tooth fairy left coins for her to count and keep. When she masters counting them she promised to bring another surprise."

I LOVE this! Use every moment to teach. What a great idea to encourage her daughter to learn money counting skills. She's motivated to practice so the Tooth Fairy will bring another surprise. However, there's one flaw in this logic... the Tooth Fairy has to remember TWICE per tooth, not just once.Oh boy, more remembering.

The Tooth Fairy has not visited my sweet girl yet, so, I'm going to use my sister's idea and get the money counting mastered!

Help your child on her way towards mastering money with the Stick-to-it Money Management System. 

 

See how Tooth Fairy coins and dollars can be turned into big savings over time...that is, if the Tooth Fairy gets with it!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Life After Chores?

As he scrubs the toilet each week, he imagines a day without chores;

when he can roam the neighborhood with his friends, with no cares in the world.

With each towel there is to fold, she thinks of the book she'd rather be reading; 

turning the pages of the romance mystery that is waiting for her on the table.

This is their lot in life...chores, chores, chores.

When will it end? Never! They'll be working and working forever!

I know my children think they are over worked and NOBODY else has to do any chores. They claim their friends don't have to do anything to help out in the home. Sorry! Mom can't do it alone, you live in this home too and need to help take care of it. Plus, you need to learn the skills necessary for when it's your turn to be in charge of a household!

This is one of my least favorite jobs...emptying the dishwasher. Oh, good, someone else gets to do it!

Chores. Are they a necessary evil or a blessing in disguise? I choose the latter. Assigning your children chores teaches time management, responsibility, a hard work ethic, encourages family unity, gives satisfaction for a job well done, teaches that privileges come with tasks completed, allows for learning and growing, and provides skills and knowledge that are invaluable.

She may not sweep perfectly but at least something's getting swept up!

 

Consider our new product, the Stick-to-it Chore Chart, for assisting your family in organizing and assigning the family responsibilities.  

This system has been utilized in our home for almost twelve years. I developed this product to use with my children because I could not find a solution on the market that gave the flexibility to assign specific and relevant chores to each member of the family. The STIC Chore Charts provide a solution to not only organize the family responsibilities in a fun manner, but track completion as well.  Chores may be rotated as frequently as fits your family's needs. I find that children REALLY learn how to do a job if they have that task for several weeks or months; however, our kids are always excited for "change the chores" day. Almost 100 colorful pieces are included that represent detailed jobs relating to most families. Blank pieces are included for customization to your household.  See how this system can transform your home into productivity! Visit our website, www.sticktoitcharts.com.

Yes, your children may day dream about life after chores, but some day, they'll thank you for "raising a stick-to-it kid".

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Wipe those Door Knobs!

Toddlers can work! I have to remind myself of this because some times I find myself thinking, "She's too little" or "That's too hard for her." We recently changed the chore assignments in our home. 

Sneak Peak: Stick-to-it Chore Chart System Coming Soon!

I realized in doing so, that our two year old didn't have her own chart. So, I quickly got to work and created her chart with her own jobs to do. She was soooo excited to have her own chart, just like big brothers and sisters. She hugged it. She looked at it. She practiced moving the pieces over. We hung it up on the bulletin board and explained what each piece meant. Quickly, she went to work. (Yes, I was kind of surprised)

One of the best jobs for a toddler is to wipe those door knobs! Give 'em a baby wipe and have them go to town on wiping the door knob on both sides of each door in the house. 

This kept her happily entertained for twenty minutes AND no more sticky door knobs...one of my husband's pet peeves! Teach your little ones that privileges come with responsibility and hard work. Start when they're young; it will make your job a lot easier when they're older!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Money Matters

The government's fiscal irresponsibility is a very frustrating thing to me. What message is this sending to our children? "Oh....we can spend whatever we want with no accountability." No! In "Real Life", you'll be in a fast financial nightmare which will negatively affect the rest of your life. My son is almost twelve, yet he understands the problem. He recently wrote a letter to our congressman as one of the requirements for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge...

Dear Congressman Matheson,

I have recently found out that the government is in a lot of debt to China. If we don’t get this resolved then we will be in big trouble if China calls in their loan. I am asking you to help the government to stop buying too many things so we can try to pay off our loan as fast as possible. I just want to know if we don’t pay our loan, what is going to happen to us as a country?

I am learning how to manage my own money. If I can’t spend more than I have, why can the government? Our leaders should be an example to the children of our country. The leaders we have aren’t doing a very good job at this.

The second thing I want to talk to you about is to get the government to reduce taxes. Many people are living on the street because they can’t pay their taxes. My family has a hard time paying our bills because we have too high of taxes. I am also asking you to help the government think about this problem and get it resolved. 

It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children about fiscal responsibility. One of the first steps is to make sure they have money to work with as they learn. But, do we just hand it over to them with "no strings attached"? I don't think so. I believe in an allowance based on hard work and responsibility. Yes, they can earn money by doing extra jobs around the house. Help them see that money comes from hard work - not from Mom's and Dad's wallet. Items are not purchased by swiping a plastic card through a machine and pressing a few buttons. 

A few weeks ago, my nine year old son asked if he could earn some extra money by doing "money jobs". Money jobs are additional tasks the children can do outside of the chores that are expected as part of a family. Sure - clean out the garage...

I love the roller blade look! Why not have fun while you're working??

I was so impressed with the job he did! Do a fabulous and thorough job and get a little tip for the extra efforts! When he got paid the next day, he got out his Stick-to-it Money Management System:

 

Earning is the first step. Don't forget the importance of giving, saving and then spending. Just like most things, start them young and see their consistency and enthusiasm shine as they grow in years and experience. Move over, Ben Bernanke. I have some children who understand fiscal responsibility.
 

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Stick-to-it Chart Philosophy: A tool, just like your fingernail clippers

Tool: anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose (www.dictionary.com) 

I believe in tools. I believe in using my Bosch to mix my pumpkin cake batter (even though I don't want to make any more pumpkin cake for a long time!!) I'm not always grateful, but I should be, for my alarm clock which acts as a tool to wake me up on time. I use my cell phone as a tool of communication. My washing machine and dryer are tools for acquiring clean clothes. (I won't mention that we probably have too many clothes because we have them) The finger nail clippers are a tool to help me cut my family's nails. (Reminder to cut my children's nails!!) My computer is the ultimate tool for accomplishing everything under the sun (at least it seems that way).

What good are these tools if we don't pick them up and use them? They are not tools unless we utilize them to be so. The clothes are not going to be clean if we don't put the clothes in, add the detergent and start the machine. The camera is not going to take pictures if one does not turn it on and push the button. The children's hair will not be cut if the scissors or clippers just sit on the counter.

The purpose of this post? The Stick-to-it Chart Philosophy...

Charts are a tool...a means of accomplishing a task or purpose. Need some extra motivation to help your children accomplish their school work? A chart is a great way to help with that. However, it's a tool. If you don't use the tool, it's not going to help accomplish the task. If you just give the chart to your child and expect it to be the hands-off solution for Mom but the ultimate solution for Charlie, you've missed the opportunity and it WILL NOT WORK. That can be likened to giving the fingernail clippers to your two year old and expecting them to be neatly trimmed when Mom inspects at the end of the day. (Wow, wouldn't that be nice??) 

I've heard many mothers say that charts do not work for them. They don't work if you're not involved. They don't work if you don't pick them up and use them, just as you would any other tool in your home. They don't work if you don't remind your child to use it or don't encourage them to

accomplish the desired goal. Yes, all children are different. Not every child will be encouraged and motivated by a chart. However, if the parent is not involved then there is no chance for it to be successful.

If you've been turned off by using charts in your home, give it a try. However, think of it as a tool for accomplishing your task or purpose with parental involvement. Great things really will come to pass when these tools are utilized with the proper perspective.

Look for a new chart product, coming out for November...This one, if implemented with parental perspective, will truly transform your home!!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Family Night - Organize and Stick-to-it

We just released our new product, the Stick-to-it Family Night Chart. It's been a long haul, getting through design and development, but we made it. The Family Night Chart has been a lifesaver for our family! Trying to incorporate ten people into Family Night can be a challenge, let alone making sure everything is "Fair and Equitable"... everyone wants to be in charge of the treat but choosing the opening song is not the most coveted position. At the end of Family Night, we change the markers for the next week so everyone knows what they're in charge of, one week in advance. Also, it helps Mom know what to expect and who to "remind" about doing the lesson or preparing an activity. The younger kids especially look forward to the changing of the seasonal markers.

Many of the Family Night charts available do not conform to large families or to all of the responsibilities families want to cover. For example, one might include: Song, Prayer, Lesson, Activity, Treat, but what about all of the other activities that can be incorporated? Also, that example only enables five people to participate. We developed our Family Night Chart to give flexibility to all family sizes and configurations.

Let the Stick-to-it Family Night Chart work for your family...get motivated, organized and prepared while having FUN with the family. Let it help you Stick-to-it!

Learn more: http://www.sticktoitcharts.com/FamilyNight.html

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

New Product Announcement

No, I can't tell you just yet; but check back often to see our new product, coming soon!!

I like this little green guy.

I'll give you a hint....it has something to do with this:

The Fam Fam...August, 2010

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

School System Makeover

So I found some awesome backgrounds that I've incorporated into the Stick-to-it School System. This makes for a more colorful and fun look - pick the design that best fits your child's personality. I have a few choices up so far...more to come, soon. 

Some of our new designs...

Let me know what you think:

www.sticktoitcharts.com/SchoolSystem.html

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

A Kudos to Commitment

After nine months of working, working, working and saving, saving, saving, our daughter succeeded in earning the money to travel to Washington DC with her school class for a ten day educational experience. A Kudos goes out to her for making the commitment and fulfilling it. We're so thrilled you had a fantastic time!

A thumbs up for all my hard work...it was worth every minute of it! (Enjoying Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia)

She kept track of her finances using the Stick-to-it Money Management System. Do you have the desire to instill in your children successful money management skills? Learn more here:

http://www.sticktoitcharts.com/MoneyManagement.html

Good job, EE!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Stick-to-it School System - Up and Running

We're happy to announce that our new product is up and running -

The Stick-to-it School System

I've been using this tool for over seven years with my children and we're excited to share it with you. 

Let us know what you think .... I'll let the website catch you up.

www.sticktoitcharts.com

More to come... but until then, Stick-to-it!

Big, Fat Question Mark

Look for our new product release coming up 

at the end of this month:

Keep your eye on:  www.sticktoitcharts.com