Obedience Bucks

The past 8 weeks PJ has had an intense schedule. Every 4 days he works a 30 hour shift and then the other two days he works 10 to 12 hours. And then that 4 day process repeats itself over and over. He averages one day off a week. So, this means he's been cranking out 80 hour work weeks. And when he is home he is often tired or napping. Nice huh?! In all actuality he and I don't mind it that much. He likes his work at the hospital and every 4th night when he is gone I am actually productive.

However, the kids are another story. Brynn and Tyler have been acting up lately - they have seriously been struggling with their obedience and their respect toward me. And since it can't possibly be my fault ;) I blame it on their fathers absense. But thankfully, starting this Monday he gets a more relaxed schedule for a while. We needed that. We need daddy's influence back. But I also felt we needed something more to help them learn about responsbility for their actions. So I thought through a few ideas I had heard of other people doing, modified according to my children's personalities, and came up with our new 'Obedience Bucks'.

At Family Home Evening we had a lesson on respecting our parents, obedience, and the blessings that come from making those good choices. We discussed how they could now earn Obedience Bucks by applying what we had talked about. And how they could also loose their Bucks by not making good choices. Then they could use their earned Bucks to recieve blessings - such as buying candy from their Halloween bags (yes I am mean like that), saving up for bigger treats like going to Play Places, dates with mommy and daddy, or even going to the store to pick out a prize. If all goes well I figured this could later turn into lessons about saving, budgeting, tithing etc. Here they are with their wallets that their Bucks will be kept in...

We are just starting our new idea but it seems like it will be fairly effective. Should I be worried that money and buying things is already what is motivating my little ones??!?

On another behavioral note, Dylan had his first time out. Tyler was nicely trying to play trains the other morning and Dylan kept destroying his tracks. He tried several times to teach him how to play trains the right way but Dylan wouldn't cooperate with him. So then Tyler matter-of-factly told me that Dylan needed to go to time out. What was I suppose to say?! So Dylan went to time out.

As you can see he was really upset about it :)