Operation Ice Cream

Posted on 2006-Mar-31 at 09:30

In our house we have some pretty established rules of who is supposed to do what.  After breakfast each day, the children have upstairs jobs while I straighten the kitchen and get laundry started.  We finish appoximately at the same time and are then able to go along on our merry way and start the day's projects.

On paper this all sounds dandy.  On paper everyone does what they are supposed to do and we all go skipping out into the spring sunshine.  But life, at least my life, seldom follows the blueprint, and morning jobs are no exception.  Here was a typical morning at my house:

Me: Ok, guys, morning jobs!  Go get it done!

Kids:  Grmmmble...poke...poke...

Me:  Let's go now, we've got a lot to do today!

Kids:  Slow slow slow slow poke poke poke.

Me:  (Watching the clock)  HEY!  It's been almost an HOUR!!  What have you been doing for all this time??

Kids:   Ummm...cleaning up?

Me:  Arrrrgh!!  Rant, rave, freak out and lecture.  Then apologize.  Start process over again the next day.

Morning jobs were taking so long and for some reason I could not correct the problem.  I decided to go to Ken with it.  You can imagine my surprise when he came up with the following suggestion:  Let's buy them some ice cream and give them money.

Ice cream?  Money?  Huh?  I was going for some hard labor or maybe even some cash payments, I didn't think they would be getting rewarded with ice cream and money!!  I looked at my husband skeptically as he laid out The Plan, but I didn't argue.  As he explained, the dim bulb in my brain brightened and I began to see the wisdom in Operation Ice Cream.

The next night my husband told me to go upstairs and mess up everybody's room but good.  It was great fun unmaking beds and dumping out toys, scattering clothing all over the room.  When I was done, my husband told the kids to go put on their pajamas and to report back to him.  He told them to pretend that it was morning and they had just finished breakfast and that he was going to time them on how long it would take to clean their rooms, make their beds, get dressed, brush their teeth and straighten the bathroom.  If they finished in 15 minutes or less, they would get ice cream PLUS $3.  16-30 minutes, ice cream and $1.  31-45 minutes, just ice cream.  The only catch was that they were working together as a team so they all had to be done in order to claim the prize. 

Now I must explain something here- my kids eat very little sugar.  Ice cream to them is such a major big deal that I think they would walk through fire to get it.  I could see them poised and at the ready, waiting for my husband to say "GO!"  As soon as he did, they tore upstairs like olympic sprinters.  I could hear them thumping and banging, drawers opening and closing.  At one point I heard my 11 year old son offering to help my 9 year old daughter make her bed.  It was...surreal.  Then we heard the mad clattering of feet on the steps as they all ran down in a pack and assembled in front of us.  The oven timer read 14 minutes and 57 seconds.   I went upstairs and inspected- it was spotless!  And I even checked in closets, drawers and behind beds.  Everything was neat as a pin.

As my husband dished out the reward, he also dished out a little reality.  They had proven that it only takes 15 minutes for them to take a completely trashed upstairs and make it clean.  Normally their rooms are not that big a disaster in the morning, just a bit messy, so it should never take them close to an hour to clean it up again.  Being a reasonable person, my husband took into account the fact that they were working super fast in order to earn a reward, so he doubled their time limit and now the new rule is they have 30 minutes to get upstairs done in the morning.  Failure to do so will result in heavy consequences.  As his words sunk in, the spoons clinked against the bowls a little more slowly as they realized that they'd convicted themselves. 

Ever since Operation Ice Cream, I haven't had a single problem with morning jobs.

So often I am quick to question my husband's ideas, especially when it comes to discipline.  I feel as though he is too easy on the children, that he doesn't understand what it takes to keep them in line.  How wrong I am!!  He understands better than I do.  And the whole time he was fixing this problem, there was a feeling of fun and happiness in the air which is completely missing when I try to force people to do what they ought. 

Each day I pray that I would be more like him, more patient and fun, more mischevious and creative.  I am learning not to question him when he tells me how we are going to do something, because even when I can't see the wisdom, it's always there in the end.  You just can't argue with results.  You can try, but you'll end up looking silly.  Trust me, I've been there :)

this is GREAT!!!

Posted by Cathy on 2006-Mar-31 at 11:03 - Link

Leah,
I absolutely love this. I think you will help so many families with this idea your hubby had. It's amazing!! I loved reading it and sure was smiling.
You have a wonderful family and homestead.
Talk soon my friend.
Cathy

Cool

Posted by YPAmy5 on 2006-Mar-31 at 02:09 - Link

You are absolutely right on the husband/wife thing. I've been there too and yep- I looked pretty foolish.
Who cares about being PC? I want to please my God first and my husband 2nd! There's no room for PC there!
Amy W

Untitled Comment

Posted by MicheleC11 on 2006-Apr-1 at 09:33 - Link

That was a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!

great idea

Posted by Anonymous on 2006-Apr-2 at 04:33 - Link

Hi Leah,

I had a good laugh, but it is a great idea! I\'m thinking how to use it with my own kids.

blessings, Ellen

Could you ask...

Posted by DonnaJoy on 2006-Apr-4 at 01:31 - Link

Sgt. Ken if he could come try that on Kelsi - or better yet, me....ice cream can really inspire me!!! That is such a good idea - you are like me...pulling when pushing is much easier!!!

Bless you...

Donna

operation ice cream

Posted by frugalmel on 2006-Apr-20 at 04:46 - Link

Aha!! I am now inspired! Thank you for sharing this great idea. I am going to try it on my crew and see if I can get these rooms done before I am an old lady! ;)