Penny Penalties

The Monster House has a new system going, and it's working out so well, I simply had to share! We've had a little problem with our Notorious #5 and profanity. And I don't mean the nicer ones. He's been dropping the F-bomb with increasing regularity ever since the bullying incident. No matter what we tried, our 7 year old's potty mouth just didn't stop. And then, the other day I had an epiphany. #5 loves money. Loves it. He is forever asking to go to the store and buy a toy. He wants treats. He wants to rent movies. And so, the Penny Penalty was born. It goes a little something like this:

PENNY PENALTIES

• Fighting with siblings -----------PAY 10
• Copying --------------------------PAY 8
• Cursing ---------------------------PAY 5
• Yelling At Mom -----------------PAY 15
• Not Minding ---------------------PAY 5
• Being Asked To Do Something More Than Once --- PAY 5

PENNY REWARDS!!!

• Do A Chore For Mom ----------------------------EARN 3
• Do What Mom Asks The FIRST Time ----------EARN 5
• Clear Your Dishes After Meals -----------------EARN 10
• Put On Pajamas------------------------------------EARN 3
• Play Nicely With Twinnies ----------------------EARN 10
• Go To Bed On Time With No Arguing (8pm) -- EARN 25!!!!!

I am amazed at how well this is working. You'll notice that the penalties cost more than most reward earnings. There's a reason for this. Also, we make sure that chores are age appropriate, like putting away his shoes, making his bed, throwing away something for Mom, etc. And each task earns rewards!

Perfect for use as a Penny Bank!
Easy for little ones to open and close.

This is working so well, that the twinnies are taking part. It's mind boggling how much calmer the Monster House has been the last couple of days. There is no nagging. There is no frustration. You win some, you lose some. And, because the twinnies and #5 each have their own tiny little storage box with a lid, they can see how their amounts rise and decline with each transaction. We got ours via a school swap meet, but I see via the link up there ^^ that you can get them at Office Depot as well. That picture to the right shows a box just like ours.. but the image belongs to Office Depot.

I went to the bank and got 5 rolls of pennies, then put them in a pint sized glass canning jar. I think that's going to last quite a while. When I told a friend about this, she was shocked. "Caryn! You're paying your children to do what you want!"

I beg to differ. I am teaching my children that there are consequences and rewards for their actions. I am reinforcing the fact that parents and house rules are to be respected and obeyed, in a visual way.  And, tossing a little life lesson in there for when they're older. It always takes longer to earn than it does to spend!!

Images of pennies via Google images. Tiny Storage Box image property of Office Depot. This is not a product review, and I was not compensated by Office Depot. I'm sure they have no idea who I am, that I use these boxes, or that I have a blog. So there.