Accountable Kids - Review

About a month ago I did a post called Accountable Kids - The Journey Begins.  We are now just a little over a month into the program - we have implemented 3 of the 4 phases. 

I originally decided to try this program because I have friends who have raved about it.  My children are not bad kids by any means, but to be honest - I was exhausted.  They are so active (daughter just turned 9 and my boys are 5 1/2 and 4 years old).  In addition, I was tired of repeating myself and feeling like no matter how much time I spent cleaning the house, I had little whirlwind messes following right behind me.  I work full-time and homeschool two of my kids.  My house usually takes a back seat because I often feel that I have to choose between keeping up the house and spending time with my family.

Our boards - painted in each child's favorite color - of course!

The Accountable Kids program  helps parents to teach their children accountability and responsibility.  And it empowers children because they learn that they are a productive part of the family - thereby developing a healthy self-esteem and confidence.  And it helps to teach children to take pride in what they do and discourages attitudes of entitlement.

I've used chore charts and stickers with my daughter before but they never stuck with my family.  This is different because it is about more than just doing some things around the house to earn a prize.  And I don't have to go out of my way to buy special expensive prizes to give the kids. 

The key to teaching your kids responsibility is consistency.  I realized I lacked in this area in some ways.  I've still not totally got it figured out, but this program is great because it helps me to be consistent with the kids.

Close up of Jesse's board - our 4 year old - extra chore of cleaning the bathroom is split between all three children, each has a section that they are responsible for completing.

There are four phases to the program:

The first step introduces the concept of core chores (daily chores expected of each child for which no payment is received).  They are also introduced to tickets which can be earned by completing all chores on time.  These tickets are used for things they've been doing in the past already (television, video games, etc) for which mom & dad want them to realize they are privileges, not things they are entitled to get.  This was huge for my children.  They are learning to manage their own television time now.  The first night we did this my 4 year old actually spent almost 5 minutes really thinking about whether or not he wanted to give up one of his tickets to watch television before bed.  I think he handed me his ticket and then took it back about 3 times before he finally decided he was willing to trade one of his precious tickets for television privileges.

A list of items that will cause a ticket to be lost is also created.  These are things that will cause the child to lose an earned ticket immediately, no warning.  For our family these include hitting, kicking, fighting, whining, and being disrespectful.  It was a real eye-opener for the boys the first time they wanted to watch television but could not because they had lost their tickets and could not trade one in for t.v. privileges. 

The best behavior card is also introduced in the first step which had become a coveted prize in my family.  The kids are allowed to use it just like a ticket, but I've found for them it is more of a reward to just have it hanging on their board.  They use it last and many times will bypass privileges just to be able to leave the best behavior card on their board.

The second phase introduces the privilege pass which helps parents to address specific bad habits that they want to replace with new behavior.  Also the date card is introduced.  I was a little leery of this one at first, because I did not want my kids thinking they had to "earn" time with Mommy & Daddy.  But I've found we can still spend time alone with each of them as we used to - this is just an added extra special time that they can earn.  And it does not have to be expensive either.  My kids love to just go out back after dark with a blanket and look at the stars alone with one of us. 

The third phase introduces extra chores which the children can earn bonus bucks for doing.  These are turned in the end of each week for real money which they can spend as they see fit.   Savings can also be introduced at this point.  For our children half of what they earn during the week is going to their "savings" account which we track on sheets posted on our wall.  At any time they can see what they have in their savings.  The half that they get to keep really helps to develop confidence in them too.  When we go somewhere now my kids are asking if they can buy something instead of asking me to buy it for them.  And they are putting much more thought into what they ask for, even my 4 year old. 

You also introduce the helping hand card.  This makes the kids consciencely think of something nice to do for someone else during the day.  My kids love each night sharing what they've done for their helping hand during the day.  Many days they have more than one thing to share.

In the last step you introduce the family forum and quiet time.  We've not gotten to this step yet with my family, although we do already kind of do the family forum since we meet briefly each week on Sunday to turn in bonus bucks and review the ticket lists posted on our refrigerator (list of items tickets can be traded in for and list of things that will cause the children to lose a ticket).

I think one of the main reasons I love this program is because it is so flexible.  I've tailored it to fit each of my kids and as they get older some of their extra chores will become core chores.  As I see what is and is not working with each child I can add and subtract things as necessary. 

The key to this program and I think anything you do to teach your kids responsibility is consistency.  I've still not got this totally figured out, but the boards are a visual reminder to me each day to be consistent, just as they are a reminder to the kids of what they need to do as a part of this family.  I've seen a huge improvement in my daughter - she thrives on this.  The boys also love the program. 

Boys cleaning the table after eating

One big change has been mornings.  Since we both work we have a certain amount of time to get us and the kids ready each morning.  In the past I would find myself rushing and many times yelling and threatening the kids in order to get us all out the door on time.  Now most mornings the kids are all ready way before I am.  They get up and know exactly what to do and get it done.  Every once in awhile we'll have a bad morning but they don't earn their ticket for morning chores if they are not done and/or if Mommy has to remind them of what needs to be done.  I've found we never have two bad mornings in a row.  Not earning their ticket is reminder enough to get them back to helping out as they should.

My middle child struggles the most with the program (he finally just earned his first Best Behavior card today!).  He has trouble thinking ahead to consequences, but even though he struggles I have seen an improvement in him too.  It is just coming a little slower.  And part of it is consistency on my part.  I've noticed when he starts getting difficult again, it is usually because I've become a bit slack in being consistent and sticking to my guns on certain things.

Overall, this program has been wonderful for my family and we've stuck with it for over a month now.  That is big for us.  I will be traveling to see family in August and I'm looking forward to taking this program with me and continuing it while we are away from home. 

If you are struggling to teach your children responsibility and accountability, if they are getting to the point where they feel they are entitled to things or if you are just tired and frustrated - I would highly recommend Accountable Kids.  There has been some times of testing where I've been discouraged, but I chose to stick with it and I'm seeing the improvements, sometimes little, sometimes big.  I find myself repeating myself less and less (and if I do it is usually because I'm not being consistent with the program) and I'm finding it so much easier to get the kids to clean up after themselves and help keep the house clean.  I'm actually able to spend time with my kids now and focus on them.  In the past I was always thinking in the back of my mind about all the things I still needed to do.  They have more confidence and I am less stressed and exhausted.  And I'm seeing more cooperation between the kids.  It is Amazing!  A definite God-send for my family

Tyler vacuuming the front living room

To learn more about the program visit their website at Accountable Kids - watch both videos on the main page.  They explain about the program and will answer many of your questions.  And I definitely recommend getting the kit which includes the book.  There are so many helpful ideas in it.  I read it cover to cover before I started the program and I'm still constantly referring to it for ideas.

Note:  By doing this post I'm taking advantage of another wonderful part of this program.  Currently if you write a blog review of the program you can get a "rebate" on part of your original purchase price.  I would be writing a review either way and in fact I had already posted about our initial experience last month here.  How amazing is that?!

Nuttin But Stringz

Did any of you watch America's Got Talent this season? I did not really watch the series, but I did catch part of one show. In it, there was a brother group called Nuttin But Stringz which I really enjoyed. They have been playing the violin since they were 10 and mix it with hip-hop, rap and rock.

One of their songs Thunder my husband told me he had seen on TV. So I looked them up on YouTube. I found two videos for this song. One is definitely a more "adult" version, but the version below is the one I believe my husband has seen before. From the notes on YouTube I think it is on Noggin.

I really like their sound though and thought I would share this "kid" version of their song Thunder. Enjoy!

Land of Elyon Review

I recently came across a Trilogy of books written for young adults by Patrick Carmen about a place called the Land of Elyon. Now I know that Elyon is one of the names of God, so I did some research on the author to see if he was considered a Christian author. I was curious as to whether these would be good books for me to read to my children and/or for them to read as they get older.

Based on what I could find about the author, I was not able to confirm that he is considered a Christian youg adult ficition writer or that he had/has any intention of tying God into these books. However, not long after I heard about them a neighbor was giving away some books and I noticed the first one in the series, so I grabbed it.

Book one is called - The Dark Hills Divide. I'm not going to give much away except to say that these books are worth taking a look at, and I would consider them along the lines of the Narnia series. Fantasy fiction. I decided they have some parts that might be a bit dark for my 7 year old daughter but I would be willing to read them to her and have her read them as she gets older. They would definitely be good conversation starters for us and Patrick Carmen is a very talented writer.

Whether he intends these to be books to teach our children about God or not, there are definitely underlying themes that as a parent you can use to talk to your children about the truths of God. The author definitely has some kind of religious Christian background and has drawn on that for these books.

After I read the first book I borrowed the next two from the library (Beyond the Valley of Thorns and The Tenth City). These had even more underlying themes that encouraged me. While looking for a picture to include with this post I noticed two more books regarding the Land of Elyon which Mr Carman has now written. One tells the tale of two of the characters in the other books, it is basically a prequel. The other is futher adventures of Alexa, the main character in the books.

So if you are looking for some good books that would be a quick read for you and/or a good read for your children, I recommend taking a look at these books.

MommyFest Begins!

Check out the Mommyfest Blog Party that is going on this week! You can meet tons of other online moms and have a chance to win lots of prizes. You can't pass up free stuff!


So here are some links to get started with this huge event (or just click the button above and start looking around!)


An overview of the blog party and how to participate can be found here

Meet other Online Moms here

See the most current events here

Schedule of Events can be found here

Contests can be found here

Free stuff can be found here

And there is tons more - so check it out!!!!

A Whisper of Grace

One of the ladies over at 1Peter3Living has started a blog for New Believers called A Whisper of Grace.

I'll let you read her testimony on her site, however I can tell you this site is definitely worth adding to your blogroll regardless of where you are in your walk with the Lord. She is very honest about where she is in her journey and the struggles she has faced. As she has come to know the Lord she has often been overwhelmed because she had no past experience with Christianity (was not raised in a Christian home). The purpose of her blog is to help other new believers find resources which compliment where they are currently in their walk without overwhelming, confusing or discouraging them.

However, even if you consider yourself a more "seasoned" Christian you will find this blog refreshing and relevant. Please take a look and drop Lizzie a note to encourage her. God's fingerprints are all over this blog!

Need another reason to check it out! She's a Mom, of three! Just like me!

My Peppermint Bark Recipe

A couple years ago I tried peppermint bark for the first time. I've found that you can not find it in the stores very cheap. As I ate these yummy pieces of candy, I figured this could not be something hard to make.

Sure enough - I was able to figure out an easy way to make it. (I was very proud of myself as my hubby is usually the one to figure things like this out. He is a great cook!)

I make this every year now and I always get tons of compliments and everyone thinks I must have slaved over it. They can't believe how easy it is to do. My 6 year old daughter helped me to make it this year.

Here is my recipe:

3 bags of white chocolate chips (just pick your favorite brand or what is on sale)
1 box of candy canes (the cheaper ones are best because they are usually more brittle and easier to crush)
Food coloring (red & green)


If you want a stronger peppermint taste you can use a couple drops of peppermint flavoring as well. I started out doing this but have realized that it is not actually necessary.

I start by unwrapping and breaking up the candy canes. I then crush most of them in a coffee bean grinder. You can also use a food processor or even a blender. If you don't have this to use, you can put them in a ziploc bag and then between a couple pieces of wax paper and then crush them with a rolling pin. Be careful though because sometimes the broken pieces will poke through the bag. I've found using the grinder or food processor tends to turn them to a peppermint powder which mixes very well with the chocolate and is probably why the flavoring is not needed. It is all dependent upon your preferences though. I tend to keep a few larger pieces out of the grinder so there is some crunchy bigger pieces in mine.

I then dump the bags of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat it on HIGH for a minute at a time, stirring it between the minutes. Note, the chocolate chips will not appear to be melted if you do not stir them. Therefore make sure you stir it up periodically to get the chips to melt evenly and to avoid burning them. It will take about 5 - 6 minutes total to melt the chips so they have a smooth consistency.

Pour in your crushed candy canes and mix well.

Lay waxed paper in a cookie sheet and pour the chocolate unto the waxed paper. Smooth out the chocolate evenly on the sheet.

Drop two to three drops of green and red food coloring on the chocolate. Use a fork to swirl the food coloring into the chocolate. This is just to give it color and make it a bit more festive.

Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Once the chocolate hardens you can either break it up into pieces or cut it with a knife.

Enjoy!!!

RuffleButts

You may have all noticed the new button (animated too!) on my sidebar and now at the top of this post.

When my daughter was young and we were potty training her my mother used to tell me that when I was little she had bought me these adorable panties with ruffles on the bottom. She told me if I could start using the potty like a big girl I could wear the pretty, ruffly panties. She said in no time I was potty trained. Well, I looked everywhere and could not find any for my daughter. When she was about 9 months old we had two sleepers which someone had handed down to me (you know the one pieces with the feet) that had ruffles on the bottoms but that was the only thing I ever had.

Well, Amber at Ruffle Butts also has noticed the disappearance of these adorable ruffle bottomed outfits and has decided to do something about it. She has started RuffleButts. She makes the most adorable ruffly bottom outfits including personalized diaper covers!

Check it out at Ruffle Butts her official site where you can order her products. My daughter is now too old for these and I doubt I could convince the boys to wear them, but I'm going to be on the lookout for someone to buy them for! Also check out her blog at The World of RuffleButts.