Ticket Shop

I've found the perfect way to entice the children to do chores, use kind soft words, and get ready for school in the mornings and bed in the nights - Ticket Shop.
We've actually been using this reward system for a couple of years now, and it still has not lost it's appeal to the girls.
Together, we sat down at the computer and made the "tickets" - basically currency for me to pay them for their good deeds. I used business cards and printed, laminated, and cut them out. I keep tickets in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in my purse, and grab several to put in my pocket in the morning. When I catch them being good, voila!, a ticket! Whenever I am at a store, I keep my eye out for little toys, books, stickers, arts and craft supplies, etc. and add them to my little store. Ticket Shop happens once a week, and I set the price for the various items. If they've had a great week behavior-wise, then they really reap the benefits by getting to buy more at the shop.

Back in the Saddle

Because New Year's Resolutions are a wonderful tool to inspire and yes, sometimes guilt one into action, I am reviving the blog. I'm promising myself to write as much and as often as I can without any bad feelings if I miss a day or two. I'm opening myself up creatively, have embarked on the journey of The Artist's Way, and this is going to be an extension of that. Raising children is a tough occupation and hopefully, by documenting certain events and how I handled hard times and mini-crisis, I will grow and help others.
Currently, my four children, husband and I are living 1200 miles away from our family. This is presenting a new facet of challenges in addition to the usual parenting issues. I home school my eldest daughter, and the other three are thriving in school. In my new home state, I have the final say on whether the twins are placed in the same classroom or not, and have chosen to keep them together. They are very happy with that, as they really are uncomfortable with being separated. Their teacher, whom had reservations about that, is now saying that it is not at all a negative, and that she enjoys their tag team rap-style story delivery.
I'm excited to be back, and hope the words that flow from my mind to fingers to screen will inspire us both.