Our family is planning a big road trip that we will be on for a few weeks. We are planning to see some sites which means we will be in the car for a good amount of time. If you have ever been on a car trip with kids you know it can get UNfun pretty quick. We also know going into a trip situation that our kids will want road trip snacks, souvenirs and treats along the way. How do we play each situation off of each other? As we prepare to leave for our trip we have implemented a new reward system to encourage good behavior, teach the value of money and keep the kids spending on a budget.
This reward system involves keeping a budget for each child. As they have good behavior, complete tasks without being asked multiple times and help their siblings they receive money. When they misbehave, throw fits or drag their feet they loose money. When we are out on our trip and they see something they want they will be able to spend their budget as they see fit.
I got the idea for this reward system while reading The 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferris and have been waiting for the perfect time to implement it. This big road trip seemed like perfect timing.
Reward system
This reward system can be as simple or as complicated as you like. The basics are your kids earn money when they have good behavior and they loose money with bad behavior. When they want to purchase something they need to have enough money in their behavior bank to afford that item. Personally I like to keep the earning and loosing increments small so I can reward them frequently without breaking the bank.
How much we pay or take away
I try to keep the amounts simple with a clear outline of how they can be earned. This makes it easier for mom and dad to be on the same page when it comes to rewarding or punishing. Our kids are also starting to think about their behavior in regards to how much they are hoping to earn.
Behavior bank positives
- When asked to complete a task and it is completed the first time asked + $0.25
- When a task is completed without being asked, for example making the bed, brushing teeth or hair + $0.50
- Assisting someone else with out being asked, for example helping a sibling with a coat, shoes or getting a snack + $1
Behavior bank negatives
When they are doing something irritating or behavior is bad I usually give them one warning, that I will be taking money away. That gets them to straighten out most of the time. If not:
- Not listening to correction warning the first time – $0.25
- Not listing a second time – $0.50
- Throwing a tantrum, yelling and mom or dad, slamming doors, or fighting with a sibling – $1
If we get to a full on tantrum with stomping feet, yelling and slamming doors they loose a dollar each time that happens. The other day it happened three times in a row because the tantruming child kept coming out of their room thinking they could be off time out and still have a foul mood. They learned the hard way by loosing a large chunk of money all at once. Three dollars may not sound like a lot, but when they mostly gain in quarter or fifty cent increments loosing a dollar can wipe out a day or two of good behavior.
How its going
First we pitched the concept of earning money based on behavior to gauge interest. We didn’t start the system right away because I was debating waiting until the trip began or during packing week. Jon, my husbands, mom brought over $20 for each child to have as trip spending money and we decided to set up the account then to give the budget a good starting pot. It also would give us a few days to work out kinks and get the concept clearly across to the kiddos.
The first night they all cleaned up the living room together, put away their shoes and straighten up pillows. They were excited to see some money flow into their accounts. Then they started cleaning their dinner dishes and getting ready for bed without being asked. They even cleaned their room and made their beds without being asked. The next morning I awoke expecting the same routine as normal. I usually wake up get the breakfast and then ask them to brush their teeth, get dressed and ready for school. I was surprised because they did all the things I usually ask them to do on their own. They were ready to list all the activities they completed in hopes of building up their accounts. It wasn’t just a fluke, this great morning behavior happened over the next few days as well.
Our goal
Our goal with this exercise is mainly to teach our kids money responsibility. We haven’t spent anything yet, but when they want a toy or treat they will realize how much things cost. Hopefully we will be able to make the connection to how much work it takes to earn enough to buy the things they want. It might take a whole day to earn a bag of chips or ice cream and could take a week to save up for a toy. When they spend money on one thing they may not be able to buy something else later.
The fringe benefit we have seen already is how they are willing to be responsible with getting ready in the morning and cleaning up their areas. It has been nice to wake up and see them already ready for school and not dragging their heels to get ready. Having them be willing to tidy up without a bunch of fuss has been awesome too.
I am hoping as they see helping others gets them more money quicker they will see how important it is to help others when they can.
I am eager to see how this reward system pans out as we begin traveling and they start spending. I am also eager to see how long the good behavior keeps up. With most things it will come down to consistency mostly on my part to keep the reward system going.
How I manage the budgets
I new I needed an app to keep track of the funds. After some searching on the app store I found RoosterMoney. I like this app because I can keep track of multiple kids, I don’t have to put any sensitive information into it or use real money!
I can open the app and add money or take away in just a few clicks. I just found last night I can even boost multiple children at the same time. So if all three of my kids were helping clean the living room I can contribute to their budgets with even less clicks.
So far my kids love asking how much they have and RoosterMoney makes it really easy to check balances. Check out this app if you are looking to use this reward system.