Special Cards - Kudos! For Kids


	Double Dollar Day and Double Double Dollar Day These cards can be used for special incentives on days such as Saturdays. For instance, on a normal school day, earnings for cleaning up a bedroom may be $1.00. However, on Saturday it takes extra work to clean the bedroom; the sheets must be changed, the carpet vacuumed, etc. so Saturday becomes a double dollar day ($2.00). Or, a parent might say that Saturday will be a double double dollar day if all the work is done by 9:00am ($4.00). So, your kids might earn $10.00 or $20.00 on Saturday, but your house will be totally clean by 9:00 am and the laundry done, etc. Remember they are earning money to buy their own clothes.

	The Privileges card Somehow this privilege card got through the spell-check with the word being misspelled. But now we have printed thousands of them. Alas! We are not perfect yet. Please bear with us and make sure your children learn how to spell privileges. This is a card that lists several privileges the child wishes to have and which are available only after the All Done card is earned. Some of the privileges that might be listed are watching TV, having friends over, going outside to play, riding the bike or using the phone to call friends. Remember, work before play.

	All Done Card This card is earned when all the jobs assigned to the child are completed but not on time. Mom or dad checks them off and the card is hung on the My Stuff hook, and money and privileges are earned. If the jobs are completed on time or earlier the child is awarded a Speedy Card and earns an extra predetermined amount Kudos Kash (50 cents or more, depending on how much work has been required).

	Speedy Card The Speedy Card is given when all the ‘My Stuff’ jobs, Daily Jobs and Weekly Jobs are completed on time. For instance parents might say “We want to eat breakfast each morning together as a family so if you get all your work done by 8 AM you will earn a Speedy card which is worth a bonus of (?) 50 cents Kudo Kash. The All Done card is given when the jobs are completed, whether on time or not. The All Done card earns money for getting the work done. The Speedy Card is an extra bonus for finishing on time or earlier.

	Lock-Up Card Playing the “Kudos for Kids!” game is a privilege, not a right. Parents make playing the game the easiest and best way for children to earn privileges and also the money they will need to buy many of the things they want. There may be times when a child loses the opportunity to play the game because of attitude or behavior. When a serious infraction occurs the Lock-Up card is placed on the chart on the Trust Hook and the game is suspended until the problem is resolved. This denies the child from earning but does not release him or her from performing their share of household duties as usual. If the child refuses to work, parents may assign Janitor or Maid Services to be performed by others, for which the lazy one will be charged. Try to avoid power struggles that would naturally be tempting at this point. Most problems can be avoided if clear and simple explanations regarding rules and expectations are made in a family council meeting before the fact. For instance:‘What should we do if someone is messy and refuses to pay for Maid Service, or gets an attitude about it?’ The discussion should end with the conclusion that any person that will not keep the rules can’t play the game and will be suspended until they agree to keep the rules. When the disgruntled child is working and behaving again, which usually requires a change in attitude and an apology, the child can be reinstated and start the earning process again. Try to stay out of power struggles. Be patient. Let some time pass and make it easy to make amends and get started again. Such things as lying, stealing or violence would cause the Lock-Up card to be used.

	Time-Out Card This card is placed on the Trust Hook and used when a child needs to be sent to his/her room for Time-Out to think about something or to cool off for awhile. Time-out is a boundary issue. Boundaries are sacred to each person and when a child is misbehaving or bothering a parent, whining, arguing, etc. they have lost the privilege of being in the presence of other people. Others should not be required to put up with people who are unpleasant or abusive. So, until a child can regain control again, he/she can cool off and think about it in Time-Out for as long as it takes. The child is then let out on probation, but put back in Time-Out immediately if they whine or become unpleasant again. How long should Time-Out be? Usually, for some kids, for the first offense,15-20 minutes might work. But if the behavior does not change it is necessary to use longer periods of time until the child comes to believe that others will not tolerate misbehaving or having their lives made miserable. Bad behavior should never be enabled through tolerating it. Tolerating a misbehaving child sends the message to the child that he/she has the right to punish others to get what they want by whining or fighting, etc.

	Maid Service and Janitor Cards These cards say, Janitor or Maid Service for ______ with room to write in a child's name. So, when Beverly picks up Tommy's clothes, mother gives her a Janitor or Maid service card with Tommy's name on it and when it comes time to settle accounts Tommy is required to pay Beverly for her Maid Service. When Maid Service is done for persons not on the program, such as a little child for whom there are no Maid Service cards the maid is paid in Kudo Kash as soon as possible by the parents. Janitor and Maid Service cards are like money, are interchangeable and handed out for lack of responsibility with personal belongings, failure to complete assigned jobs, misusing household furnishings or being wasteful of things provided and paid for by the parents such as utilities. Maid Service and Janitor cards of another family member can be earned by cleaning up after someone who has been irresponsible. When something is left out or is left undone by someone, a parent can call out, "I see a Janitor card!" and everyone will come running! Earned Maid Service and Janitor cards are worth money and are stored in the Daily or Weekly Earnings box depending on whether you wish to settle accounts on a daily or weekly basis. Remember, with younger children, the sooner and more often reinforcement is used, the more effective it is. NOTE: When writing a child's name on a card such as a Maid Service card please use a soft crayon or a dry erase pen so that it can be easily rubbed off.

	Kid Bills Kid Bills are placed in the Weekly Earning box. The Kid Bill cards list the bills that the child needs to pay. For example, if a child breaks a window, the amount needed to pay for the window would be written on the bill card and placed in the child’s Weekly Earning box and taken out of the child’s earnings at the end of the week. There are spaces on the card to write in the type of bill, the amount owed and the date due, including a possible late fee. Discounts can be given for early payment. Loans and credit should only be given in true emergencies. Do not become the rescuer of poor planning or bad money management. A parent would not buy something for a child because the child is out of money and then give them a Kid Bill. Kid Bills are often associated with some kind of waste or misuse of something that causes it to be worn out prematurely. Some examples are leaving lights on, slamming doors, and wasting food. A Kid Bill can also be given for an unexpected expense the family did not foresee. For example, a child who rides his bike to school may have the pedal break off and need to purchase a new one so he can continue transporting himself. This would become a kid bill. But, don’t let the kid bill system become an escape from the consequences of poor planning.

	Warning and Stop Cards These cards are in values of $.25 and $1.00 respectively and are used to motivate kids to take control of their own behavior. A warning is given when a parent sees that things have started to develop into a problem. "Johnny, you two boys are getting a little loud and so I want you to stop contending now." When mother gives them both a $.25 Warning Card both boys look up a little surprised. For effect she asks them to pay her right then. In any event she leaves and in a couple minutes they are at it again, arguing over the same toy. Her warning has gone unheeded, so she hands them both a red Stop Card and tells each of them to go get her a Kudo Dollar immediately. If they fuss, they know from past experience that she will double it. This procedure automatically separates the two boys for a few minutes. It also immediately connects in their minds the offensive behavior with a significant consequence for inappropriate behavior (arguing and fighting). Then she confiscates the toy for two days.