Dad Dollars Ideas

Shannon — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:16:00 GMT

One of you, who read my article, "A Fistful of Dad Dollars" in Family Fun, mentioned that you were looking for a longer list of ideas, so I thought you might like to read our kids' options for this fall!

Earning Dad Dollars

Daily Chores- ($3 each day)

Cole-

Room picked up/ Bed made/Teeth Brushed
Dishwasher emptied
Let Theo out

Lindsay-

Room picked up/ Bed made/Teeth Brushed
1 load of laundry started
Feed Theo

Cade-

Room picked up/Bed made/Teeth Brushed
Silverware
Puppy poop patrol

Extra Chore Opportunities

Clean bathroom $5
Vacuum one level $5
Wash car $10
Clean up kitchen $5
Wash windows $1/window

Reading-

Lindsay- $5/ 100+ page book
Cole- $2/chapter
Cade- $2 for 20 min. + $2 to reader

Spending Dad Dollars

Friend over after school......$10
Pop for Dinner...................$3
Friend overnight................$15
Late night pass.................$10
Webkins 30 min. .............$5
PS2 one hour...................$5
Park with friend................$15
Zoo with friend.................$15
Backyard Bonfirel.............$10
Family bikeride.................$5
Overnight at Mamaw & Papaw's $15

Tips and Tricks:

Having the Dad dollars waiting on the counter in the morning is a visual (not verbal!) reminder. I set them out the night before.
You will need lots of Dad dollars printed and ready to go on the first day. You can also print Dad dollars in higher denominations--$10, $20, and $50 bills. (Recommended, to give your printer a break.)
I sized the bills so that we could paste twelve Dad dollars per page, then used a paper cutter to trim them. This can also be a chore to earn Dad dollars!
Have the kids count their Dad dollars for payments and exchanges. This teaches responsibility and also reinforces some Math facts.
Keep the envelopes in a central location. We keep ours on the kitchen desk. The Dad dollars in the ‘bank’ are out of reach.
For group activity rewards, such as a bonfire or a movie, one child to pays. They ‘treat’ the family, and feel good about the appreciation that is always expressed by the other children.
Don’t be stingy! Even if the washed car still has spots, give out the Dad dollars freely. Remember, they’re only paper, but they’re very powerful paper when given with a word of encouragement!
If your child wants to hoard, rather than spend his Dad dollars, his motivation is sure to dwindle over time. We made a rule that our kids can have no more than one hundred Dad dollars in their envelopes. Once they have saved this amount, they need to spend some or donate fifty Dad dollars to the ‘bank’. Guess which one they choose?
Consider yourself a market analyst. If something on your list is overpriced, drop the cost. If an activity is in high demand among your kids, put it on the list!

Tiny Paragraphs : Family, Chores

Dad Dollars Ideas