The miracle that is Chore Monster

Disclosure: I received absolutely nothing in exchange for this review. It really just worked this well for my family and I wanted to share.

Once kids reach a certain age they become masters of negotiation. This is a trait that is mostly recognized as developing needed skills but is not universally loved by parents in all situations. (No, I really just meant put your Legos away because you are done with them and I am tired of stepping on them. No, I mean ALL the Legos. No, I don’t want to discuss how many MORE Legos you are dying to own. What? AAAAH. JUST PICK UP THE LEGOS.)

There is a website (complete with iOS app) called Chore Monster that is busily harnessing the power of game theory in our (the parents) favor. (I want a grown up version that dispenses 20 minutes of alone time when I finish my to do list.)

First, let me tell you that I do think you could “break” this concept by offering too many rewards or too few or by not following up, but assuming you already have a clear idea of what appropriate behaviors you are trying to encourage and what looks like a reward that is motivating to your kid for a task that is challenging but not TOO challenging, this is the tool for the job.

For us, this was a wonderful find. We have had almost no success with chore charts because they bore my kid and because they are too open to negotiating. He sees the chart not as a depiction of something immutable, but as the opening offer in the process of getting a better deal. (Want to ruin a weekend? Spend it deadlocked in negotiations over room cleaning that culminate in a hostile takeover. Go ahead. But I warn you, there’s no escape once you start down that path.)

Video games, however, have trained him to understand that some things can’t be negotiated. Including your point score. So while they are lousy for teaching creativity, they are fantastic tools for teaching rote behaviors that don’t allow flexibility. (You want the points, you pick up all the Legos. Oh, that’s done? Awesome! Push this button and see the monster dance.)

We started with just three chores- pick up your clothes in the morning, pick up toys and books at bedtime, and make your bed. We’ve added a few more over the course of a week or so, and we are now showing signs of settling into a routine that includes help with vacuuming and a daily race to “Swish and swipe” the bathrooms. Not only did that cut my daily time spent on that task in half, it also has dramatically reduced the problems that come from Poor Weapon Control. (If you have boys you know what I mean. After a primer on the use of the non-toxic disinfecting cleaner, my 6 year old is 100% capable of policing this problem himself. And is now accountable for it in the form of points!)

Congratulations to Chore Monster for turning chores from an argument into a video game that my kid is dying to “win.” He’s busy enjoying his reward right now- time on my Kindle- and I am enjoying my coffee and the knowledge that our bathrooms are clean and his room is tidy. What could be better than that?