Shane's Reward

For about the past 4 months we have been maintaining an online chore and reward system. Shane is responsible for feeding the dogs everyday, putting his toys away every evening, being our helper (like getting the newspaper, helping with Myann and Anders), and picking up the pine cones in the front yard every week before mowing day. Shane is awesome about feeding the dogs, so so on putting toys away, an excellent helper most of the time, and 50/50 on the pine cones. Every Sunday, Shane and Brian sit down and go through what chores he did that week and what points he earned. Well after all these months, he finally earned his first reward, which was a new video game. Coincidentally, he has been begging for wii play (which he calls the tank game) because he plays that game with Papa and loves it. He played it once at Christmas in Texas and has talked about it since. We reminded him that if he did his chores, he could earn the game. While we were back in Texas this summer, he played tanks with Papa again and has not quit asking for the game. Again we reminded him that he could earn. So as soon as we returned from Texas he wanted to see how much longer until he had enough points. Well, he was just a few shy, so after that week's chores he had enough points. I printed out his certificate and he insisted we go to the store that day to get his game. He was so proud and told me he was going to pay for his new game with his certificate. The thought of him handing a piece of paper to the store clerk to pay made me chuckle.

While at the store, he quickly found other games he wanted, so I told him he had to start over earning his points and maybe in a few months, he could earn another game. Needless to say, he has been pretty good about doing his chores. We really hope this helps teach him about saving up and working hard to get the things he wants.

I had to add this part too. When we told Shane he had earned his reward, he graciously insisted that Myann should get a reward too because she helped him pick up the pine cones in the yard. And she does, they are hilarious in their garden gloves, loading up pine cones into the back of his jeep. BTW, I don't remember pine cones hurting and ours are the most prickly things ever - very painful to touch without gloves.