I saw several ideas in the store for how to keep track of the chores and I saw how other mom's have done it. This is what I came up with. It's a cookie sheet, ribbons, gold duct tape and the colors are paint chips stuck to magnets with each chore and the amount earned for each chore. Since she's only 9, we agreed that that $10 total a week is more than adequate for an allowance. She only gets paid if she does it without being reminded and the chore has to be approved as completed before movement of the magnet.
The list of supplies:
Cheap cookie sheet ($0.97 @ the store-that-shall-not-be-named)
2 rolls of coordinating ribbon
1 roll of contrasting duct tape ($4.00 for the whole roll)
roll of self-adhesive magnetic strip 1/2" ($8 for the whole roll)
Paint chips of your favorite colors. (free! but the store might get a little cranky if you take lots of them at one time. I went by the paint section twice to get all my chips)
Keep in mind the chores that are completed every day and the ones that are once a week. I used the same hue for the repetitive chores.
This is the magnetic tape. It was really easy to work with and made the craft go by really fast. Anytime you work with self-adhesives, it speeds things up exponentially!
Another tip I discovered after starting on the project was if you can find a cookie sheet with a hole in the handles will make it easier to hang. I cemented wire on the back of the sheet with some epoxy, which works fine, but I would have rather done it differently.
So far it's working. It is only day one, but she is rationalizing and is motivated to do chores. She asked if she has to do dishes more than once a day does it count each time. To which I responded, no. You get to count it if you did all the dishes that day. She is now looking at the list to see what else needs doing to earn more and is keeping tally of her earnings. She actually SWEPT the floors for the first time in her life. I couldn't be more proud.
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