Summer is finally here! I know that we are very happy to see the school year end and summer begin. However, with that said, one thing I am not happy to hear is the sound of my kids constantly yelling and fighting with one another. They are relatively close in age, have similar interests and they are both very head-strong. So, as you can imagine, the non-stop fighting and yelling at one another has been crazy…and we haven’t even been out of school for a full week yet!
Taking away electronics for yelling and fighting just ends up punishing me. I had to think of something that would be a punishment for fighting and yelling at one another, but not hurt me in the process. That’s when I realized the ONE thing that means more than electronics to them, especially my son…money.
This quick and VERY easy DIY project is one that you will want to make this summer. I went to my local craft store, bought a mason jar and vinyl labels. I thought long and hard about what amount I wanted them to pay when they yelled and fought with one another. I finally settled on 10 cents. I figured a quarter was too much. With the way they were going at it, they would be depositing several dollars a day. A penny wouldn’t phase them. So 10 cents it is!
As soon as I told them, their mouths dropped open. But…and I kid you not…since I introduced the jar to them, we haven’t had ANY yelling or fighting at all. Not a single bit. I have the jar sitting out in plain sight. If Bella starts to get worked up, Zack looks at her and says “Bella…the jar” and she immediately stops. Neither one of them want to part with their money!
We started out with the 10 cents, however if we find that it’s not working or working as well as we would like, the kids have been told that the amount will increase. But the kids like their coins so I don’t see this needing an increase anytime soon!
My kids don’t yell at each other thankfully. This is a neat idea, I know lots of parents who have kids that do yell and with this they’d be broke!
That’s a great idea. My kids are older now and thankfully we don’t have a lot of yelling and fighting. I find it really helps to keep them challenged with new things to do so they don’t get bored.
I find this time of year when they are tired from a year of school – coupled with the change in routine as activities end PLUS seasonal changes all effect them so much. I know my kids have been fighting non-stop! I so need to make this! My sanity needs it!
This is a great idea!! I think kids pretty much fight no matter what over the summer from boredom most often.
Ha! I can think of about a dozen “money jars” we could create in our household! It’s not a bad reminder of how much of a negative thing you do and may be something even the adults in the family can learn from!