shakespearemom

My children and I spent three weeks of winter break fighting over their bedrooms. You see, one day into the break, my kids had trashed their rooms, and the messes grew and grew as the days went by, especially once their grandparents had loaded them down with puzzles, toys, art kids, doll clothes, and every other fabulous kid-gift imaginable. 

So, I asked my kids to clean their rooms, if only so that I could be sure the carpet was still on the floor there, somewhere. And you know what my kids did? They whined. They dawdled. They huffed. They denied making any of the mess. The minute I wasn’t watching, they played with their new toys instead of cleaning, and at the end of each day, we were all cranky, I was nagged out, and their rooms were just as messy.

I decided to try a different plan. I set up a real monthly calendar for each of them, along with a Post-it note listing three things they had to do every day (including “Clean Room”). I showed them the calendars, I listed out the tasks to be completed each day, and I told them that each day they complete all three tasks, they would be able to put a star on the day on their own personal calendar.

Four days later, the calendars have four stars on each of them. I cannot guarantee that tomorrow will continue with the same progress, but since I’m only hoping for five out of seven days, I think we’re doing pretty well. And, more importantly, my children have completely changed their attitude. Instead of whining that cleaning is too hard, that the room is too much of a “filth-pit” (a term I used first, but now they have picked up), they run to their rooms eagerly, happy to pick up whatever they’ve tossed around since last time they checked. 

And that brings me to my writing. I am literally a few days from finishing this novel, yet I have no idea what I will do to reward myself. Now, seriously, finishing the novel is a HUGE reward, but I can compare it, in some way, to having a clean room: It’s nice, but what can you actually do with it? Look at it? Show it to everybody? Brag about it on your blog? (Okay, I will definitely be doing that when I’m done). But what else? 

I’m not sure a star on the calendar is enough for me, enough of a reward. And I learned in Weight Watchers not to make food a reward, so I won’t be buying a double-scoop ice cream cone. But I need to think of something, and I need to think of it fast. Maybe all of you could suggest something?

What goals do you have? Make them happen faster with a little incentive. What might work as your star?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS