Melissa & Doug

Thanks to everyone who posted comments on my last little entry. For those of you who were interested, here is the low-down on our chart...

I looked all over for a chart that would meet our needs and fell IN LOVE with this one by Melissa and Doug. I really love that brand! They have all kinds of rad educational toys. We've bought their art supplies, easel, wooden doll house, puzzles... you name it. They make great, quality, last-you-forever things. You can find their stuff at most learning stores and all over online. The chart we bought for Ryen is called the Magnetic Responsibility Chart. We paid $20 and it is THE BEST money I have ever spent! :) The chart comes with tons and tons of "responsibilities" to choose from and even some blank ones to write your own. There are goals for kids of every age so it grows with your child and you can just keep switching things around depending on your changing needs.

We store all of the smiley's in a jar instead of on the dry erase board that comes attached to the chart so that they don't get lost. We use the board for "Extra Mile Smiles"- or the extra great things Ryen does throughout the day that she wasn't asked to do. If she behaves really well at the store or at church, cleans her toys up without being asked, goes to bed without complaining, etc., we draw her a little Extra Mile Smile. She loves the recognition and I love the attitude it brings into our family of always looking for the good in each other. However, there are those times when Ry needs to be disciplined so it works the same way when we have to address those little oopsies. If she misbehaves we have to take away one of her extra smiley's or add a sad face. We have only had to do that once though, because Ryen is so anxious to earn smiles- which is SO cool! Madelyn gets Extra Mile Smiles too and also participates when we dish out the smiley magnets at the end of the day. It has really been an incredible blessing in our family! Anyway... that's the chart scoop. :)