Ever count to 5 with your kid to have them stare back at you defiantly only to wonder if you’re really fit to be in charge ? LOL
Seriously… that was the daily going ons here when I would tell my 8YO it was time to do his virtual school work.
If your house is looking like ours has through virtual learning and MUTINY is on the table I wanted to share something I started last week that has been a GAME CHANGER … see, telling our 8YO that school was his job and his actions (good or bad) had consequences was like talking to a brick wall #hedidntcare or at least he didn’t get it!
BUT the REWARD JAR …
Gave him the visual — I know some classrooms have done marble jars like this and that’s where I kind of got the idea. Instead of marbles though, I went with the medium we had the most of around the house ! So we have a big jar of pompoms and a smaller jar that’s “his jar”
Every day he starts with 5 pompom balls in his jar (because I like to think we all start ahead each day and choose where to go from there, right?)
I wrote out how he can earn more pompoms and how they can be taken away; and I was VERY CLEAR — he’s 8 after all!
If he gets to zero there are repercussions and trust me he could’ve been negative pompoms if that was a thing the first couple of days. There was a definite learning curve/ period of adjustment!
But if he gets to 15 pompoms : he can pick rewards ! I had to find things that were meaningful to him for this to carry any weight/ motivation !
He came up with :
Getting to choose dinner
Family/ game time with us
Extra video game time (surprisingly he’s yet to pick this one)
Now, like I said, the first 3 days were a huge FAIL but I didn’t give up.
And this week we’ve had multiple 15 pompom days in a row, and I haven’t wasted valuable time and energy fighting all day!
Just wanted to share in case it may help in your house!
Do you have anything that’s working well that you can add? I would love more suggestions and strategies!
Hi and thanks for stopping by!!
I'm Lindsay ... boy mom of 2 💙💙, wife for 12 years, lover of animals, sports and a hot mess girl boss just trying to enjoy life one day at a time 💜🇨🇦
I aspire to be organized -- I have grand plans on this that are mainly stuck on my Pinterest boards😂
I'm a retired realtor, certified fitness and nutrition expert and on my own journey to a happier, healthier, simplified life 💕
A couple of years ago I was 5 years into the hustle and bustle of a demanding real estate career. I was tired, carrying around an extra 50lbs (mostly in my midsection) and didn't even have the energy to play with my little boys -- when I started cropping myself out of vacation photos I knew enough was enough 🚫
Bad food choices were my thing : I celebrated with it. I comforted myself with it. I was in and out of drive thrus and missing dinners with my family because I was on the road and suddenly each season I was going up a clothing size 😔
Enter home fitness ✅
My husband works shift, I worked crazy hours and had small kids and I couldn't (and didn't want to) go to a gym or group classes -- home workouts gave me the exercise I needed without sacrificing extra time away from my husband and boys.
I learned to eat real foods in proper portions 💚 I started to see what my body and my energy levels were SUPPOSED to feel like !!
A journey to changing my body completely had begun. Inches lost, dress sizes down, clearer skin, control over my cravings ... food has become fuel, exercise has become something my body now craves.
My anxiety levels dropped massively. My moods levelled out. My patience and energy levels with my family picked up!
I've been blessed to help SO MANY women in the past 3.5 years achieve this for themselves as well - confidence, empowerment, a fire inside them is reignited as I've helped them take back the power of their own health 🙌🏻💖
Thank you for reading this far -- sharing this journey, this new found passion... it makes my eyes light up when I talk about it (and sometimes I can't stop 😂)
My time, my accountability groups, and guidance are always 100% free -- so reach out and let's get you back on a path to self confidence, positivity, passion and energy-- you deserve to feel like the best version of YOU
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Lindsay Fortney Beyond Emotional Eating 