Thursday, September 22, 2011

Accountable Kids

Accountable Kids is a unique program designed to teach accountability and responsibility in the home. No more entitlement. My kids were off the charts on this frame of thought. They were consistently demonstrating their thoughts on entitlement and how they had RIGHTS, the right to do this, the right to do that... no more! It is a back-to-basics system which includes parenting principles and concrete stepping stones that strengthen relationships and build a foundation for raising up good hard working people. Children learn to balance choices and consequences in a fun, productive manner.  They experience the joy of being a vital, contributing member of the family and develop confidence and self-worth. The Accountable Kids program includes a book, Quick Start streaming video, Progress Board, 50 Reminder Cards, 3 blank Reminder Cards, 10 Tickets, 10 Bonus Bucks, 3 Special Date Cards, 4 Best Behavior Cards, and 2 Privilege Passes, and 2 sticker sheets.
All of this was included in my basic package. I also got additional sets for the rest of the kids.

It took me an evening to read the book, it gave me an understanding on how to gauge what level of thinking my kids were capable, while not perfect it was pretty darn close to right on.

I will say the changes have been enormous, some easy, and some very hard. There are days that there are major melt downs, but those are becoming fewer and farther between. I am not perfect, it's not just a program for the kids, it helps me to be a better mom too.  The hardest part has been on Grandma, she doesn't like to not have the TV on, but really it HAD to be done. Now my kids don't just veg in front of the TV, they read, they get their homework done, most of their chores, and are from what I can see happier. We are all more productive because the entitlement mentality has been removed.

The basics of the program:


1. Chore Cards-There are chores that are a MUST, they are the basics they must complete as a contributing member of the house hold.  Right now it consists mostly of getting dressed and personal hygiene because we were having struggles with that, the kids getting teeth brushed, hair brushed etc. Soon all of those individual chores will turn into one card to encompass getting dressed etc. They do a chore in the afternoon along with homework and practicing music, and then in the evening they have a chore along with all the bed time stuff, (ie getting ready for bed, brushing teeth, showering etc.)
There are TONS of different chores to choose from, and some that are general enough that you can use and modify to make them work for you!


2. Reward Tickets- the kids get a reward ticket for each time of day they complete their chores, so up to 3 tickets a day. Morning, Afternoon, Evening. If they complete each designated chore in the area they earn a ticket. If they do not complete each chore, they get thanked for what they did complete but no ticket. That one has been hard, they don't like not getting their tickets.  They then turn the tickets into activities they want to do, such as, playing video games, watching tv, going outside to play etc.

3.Date Cards- for every week of completion they get one sticker added to their special date cards. Once the cards are filled up they get to plan a special date with just them and either Mom or Dad. This teaches them the difference between planned rewards and instant gratification. The program suggested doing the date card stickers for each day they did with perfection, I chose to do it weekly because they are older and perfectly capable of doing their chores easily.

4. Bonus Bucks- these are paid chores. Things that I need help with, and need to be done and that I am willing to pay them for. What we do is take what they were getting as a weekly allowance and turned that into what we are now rewarding for paid chores. Things get done so much quicker and easier then if I had just given them the money.

5. Helping Hands- not only do they have their basic chores, they also have a helping hands card. This card is apart of their basic chores, but it's more then that. They use helping hands to provide at least one act of service for a family member. This is random and unprompted, they get to choose what they do. It is so fun to see them provide an act of service for one another.

6. Family Meeting- we incorporate the family meeting in with our Family Home Evening. We go over how we thought the week went, what we can do to contribute more and to make the week better. We still have a LONG way to go but we are working hard to make our family one that Heavenly Father intended it to be.


Overall the program has helped us immensely, we have been able to incorporate it into our household fairly easily. There has been change, there has been tears, there has been laughter. Overall they are learning that things had to change. We started Ansel on it now because it will be easier for him to go with it later when we get full into it with him then if we just introduce it and start fresh when he is 3.

On a scale of 1-5 I would give Accountable Kids a 4, and only because it would be SO much easier if I could keep track of tickets online as well as the boards. 
We love that the boards were such that we could personalize them, the kids had fun picking out images to put on their boards that represented them.
 You have the option for ordering it laser etched with your child's name
 Or customizing it yourself
Or leaving it natural. We opted to decopage ours with the kids names and an image that they chose.
 James chose an archer and a pokemon dude, Madilyne chose a fairy ballerina, and Ansel chose the sharks from finding Nemo.


Accountable Kids program is for SURE something that I'd reccomend, and have seen it change our household for the better. We are only a month in but I see positive changes already and can only see where my kids can go from here!

Accountable Kids has been generous and offered a 10% off coupon for EVERYONE who'd like to purchase their system!
 www.accountablekids.com

use code 9728B at check out.



 

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