My son is 7, and in the second grade, and has reached the age where he should be totally responsible for some of the things that need to be done everyday. The thing is, my son has Autism, which makes it harder for him and us to teach and learn responsibility. Responsibility can be a hard thing to grasp...why do I need to do this by myself, but you will help me with that?
Enter the My Credit Chart from Victoria Chart Company, this chart has made it easier to teach my son responsibility, because it lays out the things that he should be doing everyday, and even has additional slots for things that a parent might want to add...in our case, it is "Be nice to Baby Sister" You might think that should be known, but again, it isn't always easy for him to process that he is bigger and stronger than her, and even poking her can hurt her. He also has no control over his strength, so this entry helps, as when I see him getting frustrated with her, I can refer him to his chart and he can correct his behavior on his own.
There is a section at the bottom, where you can add rewards. There are 4 reward levels:
Bronze, which requires 6 checkmarks in one day
Silver, which requires 9 checkmarks in one day
Gold, which requires 12 checkmarks in one day, and
Ultimate (my word), which requires that your child has completed his/her chart for 7 days
You can choose what you want those rewards to be. We chose, Bronze: Ride Bikes, Silver: an hour of ABCMouse.com, Gold: Ice Cream, and Ultimate: A new game
As you can see from the above chart, my son has managed to hit a reward level everyday, and as he continues on this awesome streak, the rewards will change, as will the optional entries. It comes with a dry erase marker, so you can adjust it from week to week, and you can give your child the added responsibility of cleaning the chart at the end of the week!
I have seen an increase in his interest in doing things himself, where he often tells me, "No mama, I have to do by myself, so I can mark the chart!" I love hearing him say that, because I know that it making an impression on him. I am definitely going to have to get another one, as my 3 year old thinks she needs on too. To be honest, she would be able to mark quite a few of these off as well!
#MyCreditChart
The Victoria Chart Company has several types of charts, including charts for bedtime, potty training, teeth brushing, and vacation. They also have charts created for different age groups. I will be reviewing a sleep chart soon, that will assist my children in knowing when its bedtime, and wake up time, without me cuing them...I am definitely looking forward to that, and am hoping it will make bedtime a lot smoother, so be on the lookout for that review.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
on Amazon for $12.99, or directly from the Victoria Chart Company