ChoreMonster.com is an online system of chore assignments and rewards. It lets parents assign chores for kids by choosing from the default list or adding customized tasks. Each chore can be customized by due date, frequency, and points awarded.

Each child gets his own account, where the chores and rewards are presented in a colorful, easy-to-use interface. Kids can view assigned chores, check them off when they’re done, and see how many points they have earned. When they’ve saved enough points, they can redeem points for parent-defined rewards.

My kids have been using ChoreMonster for a couple of days now, and they’re still in the “this is so cool” phase. They enjoy suggesting chores and rewards for me to add to the system. They’re accumulating points and saving up for the big rewards (playdate with a friend, doughnuts, and a trip to the children’s museum, to name a few).

I like ChoreMonster because the kids go to the computer to see what they can do to earn points and help out around the house. This cuts down on the number of times I hear “Mom!” during the afternoon, which is nice. It also reduces the number of requests I get for treats and things, because they know how many points they need to save before they can be rewarded with something special.

We’ll see how they continue using ChoreMonster. Usually, they’re excited about any new chore system for about 1 week, and then they’re back to dreading chores. Maybe the combination of the computerized format, the scorekeeping, and the rewards-for-points system, will encourage them to stay with the ChoreMonster program! It’s kind of like a game!

ChoreMonster.com is still in beta mode, but the developer has given me an invitation code to share. If you’d like to give the free ChoreMonster system a try, just visit ChoreMonster.com and enter geekmom in the code field at the top of the page. Then follow the instructions to confirm your account.

Let me know what you think of the system. What kind of chores and rewards will you include in your family’s assignments? Do your kids do chores more willingly when it’s kind of like a game?

"I'm bored."

It’s been a while since I posted about my work at Squidoo. Well, I just finished a brand new page over there, all about how to keep kids from being bored. I worked on it all afternoon, because I was thinking of ways to keep my own kids from complaining, and I figured I’d put it into a nice, pretty, organized page, so other people could use the ideas, too.

When I was a kid, my parents would send us outside at the beginning of summer vacation and call us back just before school started. Okay okay, maybe it wasn’t quite like that. But it seemed like we spent almost every daylight hour outdoors. Any complaint of boredom was met with suggestions of either household chores or garden tending, which motivated us to find our own activities.

I guess children today don’t get much practice being bored. They need help coming up with things to do. Remembering the things I did as a child (no cable TV or video games!) inspired me to put together a really long list of ideas for my own kids. Some of the activities are fun and games, and some are little chores. They’re mostly free and non-electronic. They might be considered old-fashioned, which means they will seem brand-new to our modern youngsters!

If you have kids (or grandkids, neighborhood ruffians, visiting relatives, etc.) who are driving you crazy with a chorus of “I’m boooooored” and “There’s nothing to do!” then check it out. Boredom Busters: 100+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy When They’re Bored.

If you have some great ideas, please leave a comment and share! Cheers!

photo by John Morgan, used under a Creative Commons license

Lisa Quinn, mother of two

I admit there was a time when I admired Martha Stewart and her amazing domestic skills. I was awed by her real sugared fruit centerpieces and envious of her front porch holiday decorations.

But after a while, I gave up wishing and hoping and trying to measure up to Martha’s impossible standards. I mean, I’m a mother. Not Wonder Woman.

Turns out I’m not the only person to go from wannabe to anti-Martha. Meet Lisa Quinn, an Emmy-Award Winning ABC TV Host in San Francisco, author, mom of two, and recovering Martha-aholic. She has written a book called “Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets.”

“In this book, you’ll find an assortment of domestic shortcuts, rationalizations, cheats, compromises, inspiration, contradictions, and confessions to help manic moms everywhere get through the day….” “How to give your home the illusion of cleanliness and sensibly chic home decor, and when to just break down and hire a professional.”

Lisa Quinn shares her best tips on balancing family, work, social life, and personal hygiene, with a healthy dose of humor. Available at Amazon: Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets

I love my family! And I love to cook. Check that. I used to enjoy cooking. Or… I enjoy cooking for people who will eat and appreciate whatever I prepare. Unfortunately, that is not the situation in my home these days.

Two of my three children have or had food allergies, which made feeding times challenging when they were toddlers. My oldest (now 9) was allergic to lots of things, including dairy products, tomato, citrus, strawberries, soy, peanut butter… Just about “everything.” My second (now 7) was allergic to wheat. The set of foods that they both could and would eat was extremely small.

Mercifully, the youngest (just turned 4) doesn’t have any food allergies. Hallelujah!

To make a long story short, what started out as cooking to accommodate the kids’ allergies and prevent anaphylaxis, has developed into a habit of me running a Denny’s in my own kitchen. I’m like a short-order cook behind the counter. One wants macaroni without cheese (he’s allergic to cheese), the other wants French toast (he could eat macaroni, but won’t), and the Hubby prefers a normal meal, but nothing with peas, beans, or potatoes.

Ding! Order up!

Do you see why I’m going insane?! Every day, every meal, I’m running around the kitchen. Water boiling, toast toasting, microwave nuking, etc. Kiss my grits! (Flo, the sassy waitress at Mel’s Diner in the sitcom “Alice,” remember?)

I finally came up with an idea to make things a little bit easier on myself. It’s been in effect for a grand total of two days, but it’s working pretty well so far. In case there are any other overworked, kitchen-weary parents out there, I thought I’d share my solution.

At dinner on Sunday, I told the crew that I wasn’t going to take special orders any longer. I assigned Hubby and the kids the task of agreeing on five dinners that they would ALL eat. If this sounds ridiculous to you, you must have an easy family to feed, because it was no easy project for my bunch.

After about 30 minutes of lively discussion, they had assembled this list:

• Pizza night
• Taco/Nacho night
• Spaghetti and breadsticks night
• Snack/Buffet night (fruit, cheese, yogurt, bread, etc.)
• Grill night (burgers, brats, etc.)

Those five things will be rotated each week, and on the other two days, we’ll have leftovers or something special.

So that’s the plan. I’m feeling saner already. I went grocery shopping today and bought everything I’ll need for the rest of the week. And the ritual of 5:00 dinner panic has come to an end. Let’s hope they still like pizza a month from now. Cheers!

I wrote a post a while back, on the gag-inducing topic of my kids getting sick, and my willingness to sacrifice my own cleanliness to protect the carpet and sofa. Because, you know, it’s easier to wash my chest, face, and shirt, than to clean the furniture. Hubby calls me “the vomit magnet.” You get the idea…

Well, I’ve been reconnecting with old friends on Facebook lately, and I found out that one of them (her name is Heather too, and we lived in the same dorm during our first year of college) has a brilliant new product for parents. Heather and her sisters came up with a fresh new take on the barf bag. It’s called Chuck the Yuck, as in “Keep the kids. Chuck the yuck.”

It’s watertight, big enough for adults to “use” (morning sickness, motion sickness, etc.), holds blown-out diapers and other yucky stuff, and it’s cute!

Got details?

• Chuck the Yuck bags are 9.25″ (high) X 5″ (wide) X 3″ (deep).
• They are larger than most sickness bags to allow for adult usage.
• They are also water tight and have a seal with a twist closure that is centered in the top middle section of the bag to allow for fold-over and secure closing.
• Chuck the Yuck bags come in packages of 3 for $4.99.

So if you’re still in the yuck stage of pregnancy or parenting, you might give these bags a try. Just make sure you don’t confuse Chuck the Yuck with your sack lunch. Cheers!

We’ve been passing a nasty virus around our family, and our three year-old daughter is the most recent to suffer from the terrible sore throat and high fever.

I had it first, and after a double-dose antibiotic shot to the glutes (which almost made me pass out because I’m not good with needles), plus a course of oral antibiotics (complete with side effects), I’ve finally got my tonsils feeling normal again (after the whole 2-week ordeal).

It turns out it probably wasn’t strep throat after all, which means all those antibiotics didn’t do me any good. grrrr. I’m totally switching doctors.

So back to my daughter. Normally, she’s happy, cooperative, lively and delightful. (She calls Sleeping Beauty “Princess Booty.” How adorable is that?) Seriously, I’m not just saying this because she’s mine. Okay, maybe I am. But I have also had people with no umbilical connection remark on how happy she is. The word “sparkling” has been used to describe her personality.

Well, last night, after a week of her own fevered misery, my sparkling fairy princess turned into a screeching, sleepless, orc-child. I know it was only because she felt terrible, but she was mean!

Sick kids always feel the worst between two and four in the morning. So, I was trying to keep her from waking the entire south side of Indianapolis. Holding her, walking around with her, offering drinks, turning on cartoons… battling sleep exhaustion from my own recent illness, and several nights of being up in the wee hours with her. She didn’t want anything I offered.

Finally, I gave up the dance of appeasement and plopped down on the couch with her on my lap. I draped a blanket over her back, which she fussed over and made me re-position. I put my arms around her, and she yelled at me for putting them on the wrong part of her back. She pushed one off and pulled the other around more firmly.

Once she was settled, I leaned back to rest my head against the couch. I closed my eyes and hoped we could both doze off.

No luck! My orc princess gave me a loud, stern, “NO, MOM!” and reached up to pull my head back up. “Head up! Keep your eyes OPEN!”

Are you kidding? FINE. I just wanted her to go to sleep and stop yelling. For the next five minutes, we stared at each other. Her red-rimmed, purple-shadowed eyes were barely open, but she kept them on me, the little sleep Nazi.

She finally fell asleep, and I wiggled out from under her and crashed on the other end of the sofa. Ahhh, motherhood…

Penguin publishing sent me a leftover pre-publication copy of “Savvy,” by Ingrid Law, and asked me to help get the word out about an upcoming summer reading program for kids. I had seen “Savvy” mentioned in Reader’s Digest, as a “don’t miss this” summer read. And since I’m between installments of “Twilight,” and finished with “The Host,” I was grateful for something else to read in the meantime!

I’m only about halfway through, but I’m enjoying “Savvy,” so far. It’s definitely aimed at a younger audience (ages 9-12), and it’s written in a folksy storytelling tone. Here’s the quick summary:

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy” — a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity… and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day.

As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus… only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up — and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

I don’t know how the story ends, so I can’t give anything away about the plot. The book is whimsical and easy to read, with a lilting and sometimes sing-song rhythm. The characters’ superpowers will appeal to young readers, who will imagine and wish for their own savvies.

In an effort to encourage young children to read, “Savvy” will be available as a free download (pdf file) free online read next week, from July 14-20. If you’re looking for something to occupy the kids during the last “Mom, I’m bored” weeks of summer vacation, check it out! Get your free download of Savvy here, between July 14-20, 2008.

EDIT: Apparently, the publisher changed the download to a free online version, due to the size of the pdf. If you don’t like reading online, or won’t be able to finish the book during the free week, you should try printing from within the online viewer/reader. Sorry about that.

I don’t know who came up with the phrase “Terrible Twos,” because with my three kids, age three has always been much worse than two. I was reminded of this today, when my three year old daughter had her first humongous public meltdown. It happened like this…

This morning, I needed to get some things from my favorite store, Target. I love going to Target. There is a Pizza Hut/Taco Bell snack area up front, and I can grab a soda to sip while I shop. Usually, I get a sugar cookie for my daughter, and she sits sweetly in the cart, smiling at strangers, waving at old folks. It’s a nice outing. Not today.

About halfway through the shopping, she decided to throw a big screaming fit. It was really magnificent. On the International Tantrum Scale (based on how many strangers would stop and stare), it was probably a 9 out of 10. There was crying, whining, screaming, falling on the floor, scratching, bleeding, hair stuck to snot, kicking… No vomiting, though. That would have made it a 10.

I will spare you the rest of the little details, but let me share some of the things I learned from today’s Tantrum at Target:

• Age three is more terrible than two, because a three year old is heavier, more wiggly, and can cause more damage during a tantrum.
• The first time a child has a huge tantrum at the store, it will be unexpectedly crowded, even though it’s a Monday, and people should be at work.
• The more difficult your child is being, the more people will stop their carts directly in your path, blocking your way.
• The ear-splitting shrieks of an angry toddler would make a highly effective torture device.
• The ear-splitting shrieks of an angry toddler would also make a highly effective birth control device.
• Chanting “this is not my child” to yourself while you wrestle the kid and try to drive the cart around the oblivious morons parked in the middle of the aisle does not help to block out the screaming noise.

I’m sure some of you parents can relate to this experience. It’s one of those things that we all go through with our kids, right? Do you have any favorite tantrum lessons you’d like to share?

First of all, let me say that this story involves throw-up. If you are averse to hearing such a story, please skip to the next post. I don’t want to make you sick! If you’re a parent, chances are you’re over it, so read on…

When it comes to parenting, Hubby and I have lots in common. All the important things. However, one of the places we differ is in the treatment of sick children. Specifically, children who are vomiting, or who are about to vomit. For instance…

Not long ago, one of our young children was about to be sick. She’s not old enough to go into the bathroom and take care of it herself, but there was no doubt about what was going to happen.

Sensing the imminent upchuck, Hubby jumped backwards, with a graceful agility I did not know he possessed. He nailed the move, and landed safely outside the splatter zone.

In the same second, I — almost without thinking — lunged toward my daughter. I got my hands cupped under her pale face just in time, and caught the mess! Yes, in my bare hands. I’m a mom. I’ve been a mom long enough to know it’s much easier to wash my hands, arms, and/or shirt, than to scrub the sofa, floor, and/or carpet!

Once things were cleaned up and under control, I pointed out the difference in our reactions to my husband. I asked him why he jumped out of the way, leaving me to jump in. He said, “I don’t know. It’s just a reflex, I guess. And you’re a vomit magnet.”

“Vomit magnet.” Next time I’m revising my Mom resume, I’ll have to add that to my list of talents and responsibilities. Head Cook, Nurse, Chauffeur, Tutor, Vomit Magnet. Yeah, that’s impressive.

I have three kids of my own, and although I love them all dearly, they do have their moments. My first baby had trouble sleeping. He had allergies and acid reflux, which we didn’t get diagnosed until he was 15 months old, because the pediatrician kept telling us he’d grow out of it. “Stop breastfeeding him and he’ll sleep through the night.” “Take away the pacifier, because he can’t find it, and then he can’t get back to sleep.” “Just let him cry.”

That first baby is almost nine, and I still shake with fury when I remember what that stupid doctor put us through. Thankfully, I finally (I know, I should have done it sooner, but I trusted the doctor…) took him to a specialist and got things taken care of. It was nice to finally get some sleep! But I digress…

The point of this post was not to recount my old grudges.

Actually, some of our friends are just now having babies. We’re having a mini baby boom in our little circle. And even though I really want everyone to be healthy and happy, and I hope their babies are sweet little bundles of joy, there’s a snarky little part of me that hopes those kids throw some big tantrums and wake their parents up at all hours of the night. Just to be fair.

So there you have it: GeekMom’s dark side. Be afraid.