Happy Tickets

I got this great idea from my sister Lori. 

Happy Tickets

Every day Makena and Brody earn happy tickets for different reasons.  Makena earns them for getting dressed before breakfast, brushing her teeth, sharing, reading to us, making her bed, picking up her clothes and toys, being a first time listener, etc...Brody gets them for sharing, being kind, letting us brush his teeth without being fussy, being a first time listener, picking up his toys, etc...  They also loose tickets for arguing, not sharing, being told twice, etc...  I did this system because it helps to motivate them and we all need motivation.  (Think about, we get paid for our work..SAHM's think of this: ryan once said to me,"you still get paid, I just took a (insert large # here) paycut."  Meaning, I am still paid for my job at home.  I thought that was a great way to look at it.  Thanks Babe!)  Anyway, back to the Happy Tickets...It has been so fun rewarding them for doing all of the wondeful, sweet things they do and rewarding them for going out of their way to remember to pick up/put away/share.  To celebrate all of their tickets, we are having MOVIE NIGHT at our house.  (Yes, this idea was Lori's too.  She is full of great ideas.)  The kids will turn in their tickets to buy a movie ticket, popcorn, gummi worms, popcorn seasoning, juice box, and ice cream.  (I wanted this to be a big deal to help motivate them for next time.  Plus with someone gone, they needed something special to look forward too. Plus my kids are not big movie watchers so we don't do this very often.) All of us are excited for movie night!  I am going to make the movie tickets and pull out the cute popcorn tubs that they haven't seen before.  But the most important thing I am going to do is to continue to find ways to praise and reward my two big kids!