Grooming for Success
We have a saying in our house. It goes like this: “Is that going to set you up for success?”
EVERYTHING my children do is measured by whether or not it will help them to be successful in all areas of life. I’m not talking about being performance based. I am talking about a mindset; a way of thinking.
Our thinking patterns determine our success or failure in life. Success or failure in relationships, work ethic, leisure, business, etc.
I want my children to be successful in ALL areas of their lives. So, I invest in them with those words…..Is that going to set you up for success? I want them to be mindful of their thought patterns because this will determine their actions. (As man thinks in his heart so is he)
We have a point system in our home. God says that all hard work brings a profit. So, we reward for all hard work…and hard work shown with initiative. Initiative is important in our home as well as a job done with a cheerful heart.
So, we started a chart. It’s a really simple one actually…made by the little chicks. They earn different points for different activities…for example…school work, chores, secret service, initiative, character qualities, etc.
When they reach a certain point level…say 100 points…they receive a special gift that they determined was appropriate for the amount of points. 100 points gets them an extra 10 minutes of Webkin time. 200 gets them gum, 300 pencils, and so forth.
When they show initiative I reward with an extra 100 points. When they do a secret service they are rewarded as well.
About secret service….this is where they might make their siblings bed, or dust for them, or do their laundry, or show any kind of act of kindness in secret. They aren’t allowed to tell the other sibling or me that they are doing this, that disqualifies them from the reward as they now have their reward….recognition. If the other sibling sees it and comes to tell me then they both get rewarded. (Let another man praise you not your own lips.)
If they tattle they get points taken away. It’s really all about training the mind to think outside of the 98% and into the 2%.
As I am writing this I am actually getting the idea for an eating chart. When they choose something green they get a certain amount of points. We already instituted that to instill in them the habit of drinking water. Every ounce of water they drink gets 1 point. They each racked up 32-48 points today!
So, to take it further…for every green eaten they can get maybe 5 points and for every piece of candy or soda pop they might lose points.
My kids are really competitive. They like to compete against themselves and better themselves all the time.
This chart has proven SOOOOO successful that I may continue to think of other successful habits to add over time.
I would love to hear how you are training the next generation for success. Bring on those creative ideas!
Farmhouse Chicks
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