Chore Badge

Catherine is practicing her violin,
which she does for 30 minutes each day.
You can see her chore badge dangling from her shirt.

A chore badge is a great idea for helping children stay on track when they are going through a list of chores or even a to do list for school assignments. It is an alternative to a written list that is especially better for younger children.

What is it? It is simply one of those clear plastic clip-on name badges I found at Walmart for a little more than a dollar. I cut note cards to fit inside the badges and wrote each item that would be on her to do list on its own card. When she finishes one task, she puts its card to the back of the rest of the cards and begins on the the next task. When she has finished the tasks in the stack of cards, she brings them to me and I can check her work, prompting me to correct and train where needed. This system keep Mommy on track too.

This has been especially good for my child who really wants to please her parents, but gets lured into la la land very easily. The badge that swings about on her clothes is a constant reminder to stay focused on her list.

Since we started this system she has been able to accomplish more in a shorter time period. Now she has more time to go to imagination land, and she has pleased her parents very well!!

I plan to use this system when our little man is older. It can be incorporated when he is very young by using pictures on the cards. I could have one card that has a picture of clothes and another with a tooth brush. You get the picture? :)

Another idea... I plan to have the girls write Scriptures for meditation and memorization on cards that can be inserted into the badges. They will be prompted to review the verse each time they sift through the cards. You could also include other information for memorization like phonics and grammar rules, vocabulary, Greek and Latin roots... whatever!

You can buy an entire system that incorporates this, they call them chore packs. I hope to invest in this system someday. Here is the link: http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1150?review=1