Genius

Yesterday I had a very Blah day. I didn't really do anything that needed to be done. I ignored the laundry, walked by the dishes numerous times and all the other odds and ends that somehow end up on my floor throughout the day/s. I watched TV, surfed the Internet and even pulled out a puzzle that I have been wanting to put together. This was all fine and dandy until around 4:30 or so. It was then that I started to feel a little guilty. Guilty that I had left so much undone. I decided we were going to play the bean game. The what, you ask? Well, it's this genius idea that Jess came up with while trying to convince our kids to help clean up the mess they had a very big hand in making. All while trying to avoid any fits, melt downs or protests of "why do we have to do all of the work?". It's not an easy thing, I tell you. Four kids cleaning with no trouble.
Here's the game: Two bowls of dried beans. Parents vs. kids. For each item that is picked up and put away you get to take a bean from the other bowl and add it to yours. Whoever has all of the beans at the end, wins. The kids work together, you house gets cleaned, a little counting practice and they think it's fun. It's win-win! A side note, as the parent it is your job to cheat or, shall we say manipulate it, to make sure the transfer of beans is slow enough that they don't actually win until all of the things are picked up. So, surprise, surprise! The kids won and they get to pick a weekend activity and the Sunday treat! I hope that it can work miracles at your house, too.
p.s. no, I'm not really sure how long it will take them to realize that we are molding the outcome. we are just taking it while it lasts!