Lesson 5: Chore Jar

Chore Jar.

The best way of changing behavior is to reward kids for doing a misbehavior’s “Positive Opposite.” But sometimes they also need a mild, easy to administer negative consequence. A Chore Jar with slips listing extra chores (that are not a child’s normal jobs) makes this easy. (Slips can also be color-coded for difficulty.) When kids misbehave, they have to randomly pull out a slip and do the chore before they play. Keep track of the slips on the “Calm Consequences” tracking sheet. Extra Chores provide a “Response Cost,” teach kids useful skills, and keep the house cleaner. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Write down ideas for “extra” chores for mild consequences. The best way of changing behavior is to reward kids for doing a misbehavior’s “Positive Opposite.” But sometimes they also need a mild, easy to administer negative consequence. A Chore Jar with slips listing extra chores (that are not a child’s normal jobs) makes this easy. (Slips can also be color-coded for difficulty.) When kids misbehave, they have to randomly pull out a slip and do the chore before they play. Extra Chores provide a “Response Cost,” teach kids useful skills and keep the house cleaner. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Here are some additional ideas if you don’t have very many:

• Shake rugs
• Sweep stairs
• Sweep the porch
• Remove cobwebs in each room
• Dust picture frames
• Wash window(s)
• Dust shelves
• Wipe baseboards with damp rag
• Clean handprints off doors, doorjambs, and light switches
• Scrub the shower or bathtub grout with a small brush
• Wash, dry, fold and put away an extra load of laundry
• Scrub the fronts of kitchen or bathroom cupboards
• Scrub fronts of dishwasher, oven, or fridge
• Sanitize kitchen counters with anti-bacterial wipes
• Clean the microwave inside and out
• Sweep under the kitchen table
• Clean and polish all the mirrors
• Empty all the trash baskets
• Dust lamp shades
• Clean a toilet
• Vacuum or sweep one or more rooms
• Clean underneath beds and couches to get rid of “dust bunnies”