Adding it up...

I learned early that I would never rob my children of the supreme JOY of working towards a goal, wanting something for awhile, cumulatively seeing yourself get closer to the goal, finally earning it, and the results so much better for the process.

With that in mind, here are a few ideas to begin the process when your children are small:

*When doing Bible quiz questions (or you could do it with homework, chores or anything), for each one right we'd put a kernel of popcorn into a measuring cup.  When it was 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels, we'd make a big deal out of having a popcorn party.

*We would keep a sticker chart (available at teacher's stores) with stickers, and at the end of the week paid allowance based on how many stickers.

*When we knew we were going on vacation, we would allocate certain dollar amounts for different chores and make different ways to earn money.  We'd then put the money into separate envelopes to give the children while on vacation so they'd have their own "spending money" for the general store or wherever.  It was fun when we were going to Disney because we went to the Disney store and used Disney dollars.  By the time we got to Disney, everyone had saved enough money to buy their own souvenirs and treats.

*We rarely watched television, but I would award "coupons" and when any child earned ten coupons they could watch television.

Challenge:  Think of different ways to help your children "work toward" something, earning towards it and seeing their progress, and then celebrating their achievement!