We all know kids love rewards. And third-graders are no exception.
I was eight years old. It was simple, really. If we did something good, Mrs. Moffet would reward us with “medallions.” These medallions were nothing more than a sticker on a small piece of laminated construction paper. But to us, they may as well have been a gold statuette. Boy, were they worth their weight in gold.
Knowing full well we would do anything for a medallion, Mrs. Moffet took every advantage. She had kids reading quietly, working cooperatively, being remarkably well-behaved. She was so clever, in fact, at the end of the day, she would ask us, “who wants to sort the medallions?” and every hand in that classroom would shoot up so fast, vrooom, you’d think she had asked “who wants ice cream for dinner?”
I remember silently willing her to choose me, arms and back straining from trying to raise my hand higher than the others. And when she did call on me, I felt victorious. VICTORIOUS?!? For laboriously sorting colored pieces of paper?? It’s practically akin to child labor! I look back now and think, “man Mrs. Moffet—you was one clever lady.”
So, now with the perspective of many many years of wisdom and experience, I say here’s my tribute to you, Mrs. Moffet. A huzzah to grownups everywhere who know how to make kids do chores with a big ol’ smile on their face.
5 WAYS TO MAKE CHORE TIME, FUNTIME
1. Have a dance party while washing windows, mirrors, any surface that needs polishing. Blast the music and get down! My fave: Whitney Houston’s Dance With Somebody. (He’d kill me for telling you this, but my husband and his little brother would dance to that with their mom when they were little kids.)
2. Folding laundry is such a bore, especially when you have a million socks that need to be matched. Why not make it into a game of memory? Cut out different sheets of colored construction paper and decorate them with stickers (medallions!). Lay out the socks and cover them with the sheets. Have at it.
3. Cleaning your room, an old favorite. Make this a new favorite by making it into a scavenger hunt! Before the kids begin, go in and hide prizes, money, and/or sentimental tokens in strategic places. The kids will be so enamored of finding the treasures it’ll actually make cleaning their room something they look forward to!
4. Remember playing parachute as a little kid? This one might be better suited for the smaller set, but why not play a game of parachute while making the bed? Bonus points if you have colorful sheets!
5. Let your kids unleash their inner athlete by gathering all your dirty clothes, and putting a laundry hamper a few feet away. Have them ball up the clothes one at a time, and aim for the basket. He shoots, he scores!
Do you have other ideas on how to make chores fun? Let us know by snapping a photo and uploading it to our Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #TheChic!
