Camp Rules

We have our house rules posted on the same wall as our family calender and important notices. They know the rules and they know the consequences. (We like Super Nanny!)

We also have a Toddler, 2 boys with ADD/ADHD and a Dad in charge who also has ADD. I can not overstate how important structure is in our house. It is crucial to survival.

I found a couple of tips on Let's Explore (my new favorite blog!). The first is a "Chore Bucket". The kids pull a chore out of the bucket and that is the chore for the day. They are all things that they can do and can feel good about doing a good job. #2 in particular LOVES to be a helper. #1 would rather sit in front of the TV... I'm thinking Dad should pull out a chore to set a good example ;).

Another cool tip I found on Let's Explore is the Marble Jar. you set out a basket of marbles and an empty jar. When they do something worthy of praise, they got to add marbles to the jar. Once the jar is full, they get a special treat. We tried giving them each a jar of pennies and taking away pennies when they misbehaved, but they threw a fit at losing pennies and I think it focused too much on the bad behavior. I think the marble jar will not only get them more praise, but it will encourage them to work together.

We started the Marble Jar last night and it was met with great enthusiasm. #1 & #2 got the jar going by doing such a great job reading while I got #3 ready for bed. We have not even decided what the "surprise" will be yet. I try to keep rewards to non-material things, but I'm thinking maybe a book from the book store... or better yet a trip to the Public Library! To avoid starting too much at once, we're holding off on the Chore Bucket until the weekend. Daddy and I will be picking chores too. Chores done with effort and enthusiasm will be rewarded with marbles - even if it isn't done "right". It is the effort and the work ethic we are going for here.

I also plan out our menus every week, which not only gets dinner on the table at a reasonable hour, but it saves a lot of money in groceries. I also plan out lunches and snacks. Daddy has also requested we sit down and come up with a "Camp Schedule". This may be too rigid for some families, but again, with the abundance of ADD/ADHD in our home, it is a necessity.