Sweet Points

We have church at 8:30 on Sunday mornings this year and it has proven to be a challenge for our kids.  A couple of weeks ago they were playing together.  We were thinking isn't this nice when we heard,  "I hate you!"  "You're an idiot!"  Not quite the way I picture "keeping the Sabbath day holy".  I don't want them or us (mom and dad) to dread Sundays and remember them as the worst day of the week.  So I started Sweet Points.  They start the week with 100 points and whenever I hear or observe unsweetened behavior, they lose a point.  They work as a team, so when one point is lost they all lose.  At the end of the week (Sundays) we have a Sweet Point Party with sundaes.  Depending on how many points they have left they earn ingredients for ice cream sundaes.  If they only have 10 points left they each get a scoop of ice cream.  Every 10 points I add a topping or another scoop.  If they keep all 100 points, they get 4 scoops of ice cream, fudge, caramel, whipped cream, a cherry, m-n-m's, sprinkles and a topping of their choice.

It has worked wonders for all of them.  They are being kind, stopping each other from losing points and working things out on their own.  SwEeT!  The first week, they still had 70 points left.  Last week they had 92 points left.  Addison tends to lose most of the points, but when the others are at school, she loses a half a point for not being sweet.  Anyway, I haven't heard "I hate you!" and "idiot" for a month.  Its been really fun.  Here are some pictures from our most recent party.