Taking turns... vs. being first.

So, I need ideas on how to motivate the kids to do what we want to do, but how we've been doing it has created it's own issues.

We've (mainly dh) tried to motivate kids to get pjs on so that the first one ready gets to pick which quick tv show they watch... well, now my dd is all about "being first" in EVERYTHING!

So, what are other options to taking turns that work for you?

I remember someone saying that certain days one child got to pick and other days another child?

anyway, any help would be appreciated. Shelley
(you'll see a couple of other questions posted separately because I think they are a different topic.)

 

Our biggest issue is who gets to sit beside daddy at the supper table. So the twins each have a day, we alternate them. They are marked on the calendar with a heart for Rylee and a star for Liam, so they can recognize when it's their day. My big kids switch each week on sunday's.

I would do the daily thing if it's an all day battle. Today is Davis's day.....he gets to bath first, to play the puzzle first, to pick the tv show....etc. Alternate days. To me it's just the simplest way to avoid arguments and so far it's worked great for our supper issue's.

 

We rotate on who gets to go first or gets first choice. They argue over which chair to sit in at dinner, who gets to take a shower first, who gets woken up first, etc. Alternating days has worked for us.

 

Yes, we alternate days, too. I am certain I never would have thought of it, if someone hadn't mentioned it here first. One day is DS's day for everything (getting in and out of the car first, first pick of the tv show, getting dressed first in the morning, picking which bedtime story is read first, etc.), and the next day is DD's day. Weekends are free days. It has stopped some of the arguments (not all) and now I just have to remember whose day it is!

 

A friend of mine does it so one kid is first on odd days, the second is first on the even days. I haven't had too much trouble with it in my house, but that's the system I would probably go to. Sometimes when they argue, I think of a number between 1-10, make them guess and who ever is closer has to go first.

 

We started doing the odd/even day thing a few months ago and it's worked out great! They don't bother arguing about who's first anymore.

 

We do this. And the person whose day it is goes first for all things, good or bad.

eta: fix typo

 

We alternate days too. I made a sign for their room with a name on each side. We actually flip it right before bed each night and whoever's name is on the sign gets to be first, pick etc. I had to do night because I kept forgetting to flip the sign and on the rare occasion I would remember to flip it I would forget by bedtime that I did it that morning. The biggest thing they fought over was who I told good night first anyway. It's helped a ton. We also quit doing the "whoever gets done first thing" When we need something done now we set the timer for a minute or two and anyone done before the timer gets whatever it was. No prizes for being first, or fastest, etc

 

I'm so glad I read this thread! My girls argue every day about who sits where, who gets in the van first..etc etc. I never thought of doing the odd/even day idea. It's genius! I'm implementing it today. Thanks!!

 

This is what we did until recently.....and one DD discovered the 'odd' days happened more moths to more days ending in '31'. (then 'odd' gets two days- which never happens to 'even') LOL. so we since moved to alternating with a chart.

It is a good system either way.

 

It took a while for our twins to adjust to the idea of there being a day for each of them but it has worked really well. They remember way better than i do. I have to look at the calendar to see if its even or odd. This is our first month with a 31st... Initially I'd just said that those were mommy's days... We'll see how that actually pans out in a few days!

 

Agree with the above...we also alternated who got to do what, and still have to do that a lot. But, we still have times when one will get upset because the other got finished first. My Sarah is just uber competitive...she wants to be the first to get her teeth brushed, the first to get her clothes on, the first to brag that she got ready first...whereas Allison just isn't geared that way. She likes to take her time, and never gets in a hurry. So, I have just had to really impressed upon Allison that it is okay for her not to be first and to take her time. That God made us all different and he made Sarah to move really fast and do things fast, and her to take her time and that's okay.