A few years ago during a trip home to Ireland I spotted some behaviour charts in Marks & Spencer. They covered the six weeks till Christmas and came with cute little elf stickers – smiling elves for the good days, sad elves for the naughty days. I bought one each for Number One and Number Two. They reacted really well to them, behaving really well in the run up to Christmas.
Since we don’t have M&S here in Germany, we have made our own naughty or nice behavious charts the last couple of years. We had a lot of fun planning the design and colours to use and the charts worked just as well as the bought originals.
To make your own chart you will need:
Card in various colours
Glue
Scissors
Ruler
Felt tip pen
Optional extras:
Stickers
Stamps and ink
Washi tape
Cutting board
Scalpel
1. As the basis for your chart you need a rectangular piece of card. We use card approx. 20 x 40 cm. Allow the top third of the card for the picture and the bottom two thirds for the grid of days and weeks.
2. Mark the division of the picture area from the grid area. Last year we used a strip of card and cut a pattern into it. This year we used strips of washi tape.
3. Design your picture, cut out the pieces you needa and glue them into place. Last year I went for an elaborate scene with Santa, Christmas trees, presents, snow and stars wich the boys stuck in place while I instructed them. This year we simplified it and I let the boys design their own pictures.
4. Draw the grid for the days and weeks. You will need 8 columns (one for each day of the week plus a column on the left for the dates). Depending on how many weeks are left till Christmas, you can decide on how many rows you need. Last year we tracked the boys’ behavious over 6 weeks. This year we’re doing it over 7 weeks.
5. Write the names of the days in the top row of your grid and the dates of each week in the column on the far left. Now your chart is finished.
6. At the end of each day mark the square on the grid which corresponds to that day with a smiley sticker, a gold star, an ink stamp or a black mark, depending on the child’s behaviour.
oh this is a fab idea, so creative and great incentive for good behaviour, with 3 of my own this could be perfect #fabfridaypost, linked after you xx
Der Fionnuala,
I came across your post on 'Generation Emigration' and then looked around to see how I could contact you. You seem to be a very talented and busy woman! I liked your Flammkuchen post! My wife is from Baden, north of Freiburg and she also does a lot of experimenting with home cooking. We live in Aachen but also have a home in Ettenheim/Baden, my wife's parental home. When we go down there from here (Aachen) – we are going down again tomorrow – Flammkuchen is very much on the menu. We go to a Straussenwirtschaft and dig into the Flammkuchen and wine. Germany has been my home for over forty years now, and it is nice to see someone from Ireland appreciating the variety of the German way of life. I love living here. We have four girls, all Irish names, but they are flung across Germany now. Just one living here in Aachen, another in Berlin, one in Stuttgart, and one at the moment in Colombia, but still studying in Cologne. Keep up the posts. I will enjoy reading them. George Reilly, Aachen, originally from Belmullet, Mayo and extremely proud of it!! (At school I used to be teased for coming from the bogs. They never new how beautiful the area of Erris is!)
Thanks Mackenzie.You sould give it a go with your children. It is fun to make and serves a good function too 🙂
Hello George, how nice of you to contact me. I'm so glad you liked my article. I do enjoy living here. Have a safe trip to Baden tomorrow.
My grandmother was from Mayo (knockmore, outside of Ballina) and we go there every year. My folks have a holiday home in Mulranny. We all love Mayo. I was up in the Erris area a coupld of years ago. Fantastic scenery.
Fionnuala
What a great idea for the Christmas season! #TheList
This is a great idea for the run up to Christmas.. I've had to pretend to ring Santa a few times so far, but I think a chart like this would work better.
We love it. It makes the boys think twice before acting up in the run up to Christmas.
You should try it. It works really well with our older two (5 and 7 now). This is the thrid year we've done it.
What a great way to control all that pre-Christmas excitement. We have similar idea that encourages good behaviour and teamwork. They still insist on me bringing it out each year. Even the 13 year old. Be warned! #HowtoSunday
It looks lovely, I especially love all the different cutters you have! That Santa is particularly cute!
Thanks so much for linking up to #HowtoSunday 🙂 x
Even the 13 year old? Wow! I'm impressed 🙂
Thanks Jenny. The Santa took me a while to cut out, but he does look very jolly, doesn't he? It was such fun to make with the boys and works really well too.
I love this! Very creative! I think this will go down nicely with Ethan. He'll be good all seasons! Haha Thank you for linking up with me. #FabFridayPost x
Ha ha! Give it a go. It is fun and practical too as well as providing a daily activity – putting the gold star in place each day.
This is such a brilliant idea! Yours turned out beautiful & so creative. I love a reward chart, it's great motivation for the little ones. #anythinggoes x
Such creativity! Love it! I especially love how you cut out their names with a scalpel. Brilliant! #AnythingGoes
Thanks Becky. They have worked really well for us in the run up to Christmas. We've hadn't needed a black mark so far this year.
Thanks Trista. My scalpet set was new. I used it A LOT for a while. They did turn out well though.
Great idea and I love your homemade version, so much more personal 🙂
Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes
Debbie
Thanks Debbie. They were a lot of fun to make and work pretty well too.