Being the mom of boys is a joy. Figuring out a reward system has had its ups and downs, but I think I have come across a plan that works for us. This idea hit me one day while I perused the isles at our grocery store. I was stuck in front of the pretty bags of beans and marveled at the many varieties, I could just see how pretty they would be in jars... and then the idea hit me and it has worked. So now I will tell you how it goes.





I started with one bag of beans. The boys earn beans for doing chores. They earn beans for making their beds, brushing their teeth without being told, random acts of kindness, doing homework, picking up toys, you get the point. They each have their own jars to put their beans in. Beans can also be taken away. For example if Sidney pushes Zane I might take away 10 beans.... the catch...I will give those 10 beans to the victim.






At anytime the boys can trade in their beans for cold hard cash. At our house 100 beans equals five dollars. They have to sort the beans into groups of 10, 5, or 2s to count them out. As they count them we do different math facts using the beans. Sidney has been practicing multiplication facts with his beans, and Zane has learned to count by 2's to 100.

This has been a good thing to help at our house. If you have young ones it might help you too. Just be sure they don't stick the beans in their nose!