Obedience Chart To The Rescue!

We have a surprise for the children this coming week. There is a local organization that is putting on a 150th anniversary Civil War reenactment, and we know our boys will simply love it. We've given them a clue about what it is, but they haven't figured it out yet. However, we don't like to extend special privileges to our children when they've been especially naughty (ever had one of those weeks? months? : ) So, my husband got creative, and designed a chart that would hopefully encourage them to do better. Although they're still not sure what the surprise is, what they do know is this: they have to have more happy faces than sad faces on their chart by the end of the week to be able to go.

Obedience Chart Copy

We told them that whenever they do something good, whether it's being nice to each, doing school without complaining or grumbling, helping around the house without any murmurings, etc. that they get to put an x on the happy face side of the chart.

Whenever they are mean to each other (hitting, mean words, etc.), or they complain or grumble about doing chores, school, whine, or are just plain disobedient, they have to put an x on the sad face side. Of course, we adjust how all this works out according to their ages. We have our three oldest children doing this, (ages 7-3). Any younger and the idea of the chart is probably lost on them. Too much older and they've probably outgrown this exercise. Our rule is that if at least two children have more happy faces than sad by the end of the week, they all get to go on this special family outing. If two children have more sad faces, no one will end up going. That way, they all have an incentive to encourage each other to do good and be obedient.

So far it has been helping out a great deal. Today especially was an improvement; there was much less grumbling and arguing between the older ones.

If you would like to use this chart, just come up with your own reward! It could be anything, a new toy, a trip to the ice cream store, a new book, etc. You can download this chart, and write in your children's names. The chart is made for three children, so if you have more than that just print off as many as you need!

You can download and print the chart off here.  Hope it can be a help to you!