Description: Using a job jar to get your kids to do their chores.

When my four daughters were young, Saturdays became unpleasant and I faced them with dread. Since I worked outside our home, on Saturday, each child would have an assigned job to do. All kind of groans and gripes would surface. “I’m tired of dusting” or “The bathroom tub is the hardest job of all” to “I have the hardest job.”

My friend, Nancy suggested the “job jar.” It had worked in her family when she was a child. I listened to her description of the “job jar” with my ears perked. I was willing to try something different.

Nancy said that on the designated work day, her mother had “jobs” written on little pieces of paper and folded up so that no one could peek. Each child would draw the little folded paper out of the jar and that was that. That was their job. If they wanted to trade with another, that was OK.

I began to think aboout what my young daughters were experiencing. Maybe they are tired of just one particular job. Maybe one job is harder than another. Maybe they think I am not being fair.

Saturday rolled around and I explained to my girls about the “job jar.” They thought it would be fun, so that’s what we did. I used a small fish bowl. They each drew a job. Sometimes they would trade with each other or sometimes they were satisfied with their job that they drew out of the fish bowl. They got their particular job done faster and with much more pride.

There was no more bickering or wondering if everything was fair. It was all up to fate and a little “job jar.” They still remember the “job jar.”

I would recommend this to parents of young children.

Francine Larson has an AA Degree From St Petersburg College. Taught Nursery School, Children’s Choir, Paraprofessional for First Grade. Co-Author of Character Keys to a Bright Future. Writes poetry, short stories and articles. Web site: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso4qht

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