We have all been there.  No matter what your goal, there are times we just fall out of routine.  And our initial thought is: if I can't do it perfectly, I can't do it at all.  We should get over it.  Seriously....I know I will NEVER get the Mary Lou Retton 10 that I strive for.  So if I strive for perfection, I will not only totally stress out my kids, but I will only be disappointed.   

One of the benefits of our system is that it is out on display....not stuck in a drawer or put easily into the trash can.  It is also engaging for the children, so they will most likely ask you, "When are we going to start this up again?"   

Here's the thing:  there are times when we just need to slow down, take a break and a deep breath, and then start up again.  There are days in our household chaos that we just look at the kids and say, "Life is a bit crazy today, so no fisherkids." Sometimes that is met with "Yes!" and powerful fist-pumps and sometimes it is met with "Can we do it if we have time?" [usually, the latter happens when they are SUPER close to having enough in their spend bags to purchase their goal!]  

Please stay realistic.  There is no reason to give up.  These are LIFELONG lessons we are teaching our children.  Why give up after a couple of months off?  If our kids are sick from school for a week, we don't say, "Oh, well....we'll just repeat fourth grade next year."  Certainly we send them back to school, the catch up, and keep going.  Teaching our children responsibility is the same way.  It isn't always going to be perfect, it isn't always going to work into our lives, but over the next however many years your kids are under your roof, they will learn how to be responsible adults.  That's our job as parents.  It's the most difficult yet rewarding job ever, and we can't give up.  We don't give up brushing our kids' teeth, making sure they bathe, or making sure they learn how to get their schoolwork done.  So let's not give up teaching them how to live independently, be accountable, and be financially wise.

We can do it, and we can do it realistically.  I promise. 

We have discussed this before, but it warrants an additional month of discussion.  The question comes up often.   

The responsibility station is designed for one child.  We tested our product prior to launching and found that one system for one child increased the accountability and ownership of the program.  It is your child's little nook and cranny of the house and that's fun for the kids.

That said, there were several reasons to come up with the add-on kit.  Not every house has space and not every budget has the money for one kit per child.  Additionally, some families like to be sure the system works for their family before investing in one kit per child.  All of these are very valid reasons, too!  We are happy to sell the completion kits if you decide you want one kit per child, but we don't want you to spend the money if you don't have to.  So here's the skinny on the add-on kit:

The boards will fit up to three children per board (see image above).  Every child will have his/her own money bags, paycheck tearpad, and chore bucket + chore sticks.  The ONLY component the children share is the responsibility magnet.  This component is explained in the Parent's Guide included with the kit, as well as on our introductory video on our homepage and YouTube.   

The magnet is used to list out the responsibilities expected of your child(ren) each day.  These are things you simply EXPECT of them as being a valued member of the family team.  We aren't paying them for these.....we expect them [just as our kids expect food, shelter, clothing, and air conditioning in the hot Texas summer].  If you have several children sharing this magnet, there are a couple of solutions for keeping this organized.  You can have all the kids share the same daily family responsibilities; you can initial each responsibility of the day with your child's individual initials; OR you can use one day for one child, another day for another child, etc. and simply have the kids repeat those responsibilities each day. 

ONE of the bullet points on the magnet, though, is the number of chores you want them to choose each day or week, however you have decided to use this component of the system.  The same solution goes here, too: have all children do the same number of chores; initial each child's number of chores; OR use one day per child.

If you have children that are close in age, this is very easy to organize.  If your children are spread out in ages, there will be a bit more organizing, but it is very possible to make this work just fine.

The beauty of our system is that you get to use it however it best fits your family.  There is no ONE way to make this work well.  Be realistic, be flexible, and relax.  Families function best as a team, but keep in mind who the captains are!  

Hey Jennifer,

Just wanted to say thanks! My 10 year old finally had enough money saved up in her "Spend" account for her big purchase! Through her weekly commission and her recent birthday money, she bought a portable DVD player for herself with her own money! She is soooo excited! Thanks again!