The Challenge

A few weeks ago I came up with the best idea. I told my kids it was their challenge. Who ever won the challenge won the prize, which was a trip to the bookstore and they could pick out any book they wanted. Before I told my kids, I told my sister. She laughed in my face. She said that was the stupidest challenge she had ever heard. The challenge... who ever turned all their socks inside right before they went into the laundry won. She said, "Why not have them keep their rooms clean." Because that's just too opened ended in our house. Clean can mean a lot of things to different people. I think clean is: everything put away where it goes, vacuumed, dusted, and beds made. Katie thinks clean is: everything shoved into corners, in the closet, or in someone else's room. Blankets thrown on her bed and... dusting, what's that? Kyler thinks clean is: everything piled onto shelves in a disheveled mound. Jonas is actually pretty clean when he wants to be.

Anyway, I thought my idea was ingenious. I'm going to start them out small and work it up. Hopefully they'll start doing things without being asked 27 million times. Plus this will actually benefit me. Anyone can turn socks inside right ( I think) why should I have to? One of my biggest annoyances (besides laundry itself) is turning stuff inside right, it takes foooreeever.

It was kind of hard to start the challenge right away, since they were off track and they barely get dressed let alone wear socks. But I told them it had started. Kyler and Katie had a very hard time understanding the challenge. What if everyone missed a couple? It took awhile to explain it (I think they were just trying to catch me in confusion, but I had clearly thought this one out) who ever has the least amount of socks inside out wins. Well, what if the sock is half way inside out? You lose. Ha Ha! They don't like to lose.

It went well. Jonas, however, is the only one who actually turned ALL his socks inside right. I don't think that Kyler and Katie believed I would really pick a winner. Too bad for them. They do NOT get a book.

So why a book? Mostly because my kids think that they deserve the world when they do something good. A book is practical, they don't care where I take them as long as they get something. They weren't that pleased when they found out the prize but it didn't stop them from wanting to win it.

Jonas gets the prize this time. The next challenge... all clothes inside right. Now that Kyler and Katie know they won't get a prize unless they really do it, it's off to a good start. I think this just might work.