Monday, July 14, 2014

Chore Monster (an awesome parent tool)

During the school year I could not speak more highly of Class Dojo (read post here). My student's LOVED it, and even better...it's FREE! About the last three weeks of school we even used it to have a competition in the room: Boys vs. Girls. It was so much fun!

So of course when I saw this advertisement (on one of the many many apps, websites, blogs, who knows!?!?) for Chore Monster...and it's also FREE...I had to check it out!
I must say...so far WE love it! I had a really cute chore chart on my kitchen wall, but it had lost it's "luster" and I must admit was having difficulties keeping up with it...no excuses seriously I only have one kid! 

The basics of chore monster are that you set up a parent account (there's an app), add your children (they will need separate log ins), choose different chores (you can even make your own, and choose pictures for your littles that aren't reading yet, you can also set different times for the chores to be completed), set up point values for the chores, then set rewards (can be extra TV time, date with mom or dad, you don't have to spend $$) that they can spend their points on! The child logs on, chooses the chore they completed, log it...then here is the awesome part...I get a notification on my phone to verify that she completed that chore before she is even given the points!!! 

This is a parenting technique I have shared during so many parent conferences...I just never came up with an app!!!! I always suggested setting up rewards at home when I was placing students on behavior checklists for the classroom, now I can just suggest an app or online source!



Right now my daughter LOVES it!!! She is working to earn a family night out at the fair. She has never been one to pick up after playing with one item, despite my desperate attempt to teach her to do so. She is more of a pull everything out, leave it out, play with something else, then whine and complain when it takes forever to clean it up at the end of the evening. She quickly realized that she would earn points every time she cleans up...I am toy clutter free at this moment!