Sticky Notes and Cash: The Chore Game That Actually Worked
If you’ve ever begged your kids to do chores and been met with blank stares, sudden deafness, or “I’ll do it later,” welcome to the club. Should we get T-shirts?
I have tried charts, points, guilt trips, and dramatic sighs. I’ve even said things like “Do I look like a maid?” in a tone that probably made it sound like a hostage negotiation. Nothing really stuck, especially in full reset mode- until the Sticky Note Game.
Desperate Times, Creative Measures
One weekend, I was tired of repeating myself and equally tired of the house looking like we’d hosted a week-long toddler tornado convention. I grabbed a stack of sticky notes, wrote random chores on them - things like “wipe bathroom counters,” “vacuum stairs,” “clean litter box,” “pick up living room toys,” and then, on the back of each note, I wrote a dollar amount.
The catch? They didn’t know the value until they finished the task, and I checked it.
Some were worth $1, some $3, a few big ones $5 or $10. It added mystery, a little excitement, and most importantly, it made them willing to clean. (The “healthy” competition amongst siblings kicked in)
Sibling Economics: The Optional “Helper Fee” Rule
If a younger sibling wants help with their chore, they can absolutely ask for help - but it’ll cost them.
Older kids (or the “family experts”) can charge a small helper fee. My oldest usually keeps it reasonable - sometimes a flat $1, sometimes a percentage of the chore’s reward value. It teaches them how to negotiate, value their time, and understand that teamwork is great, but effort still matters.
Plus, it adds a little friendly business sense into the mix, not to mention a lot of laughter when the “younger employee” tries to haggle their fee down.
The Rules (Loose, Because We’re Not Running NASA Here)
Pick a sticky note from the wall or fridge.
Complete the chore correctly (keyword: correctly - a couple of redo’s generally fix it if that’s an issue).
Call me/dad for inspection.
If it’s good, flip it for your prize, and you can grab another sticky note
Simple. Fast. Immediate gratification. And for once, I wasn’t the only one wiping toothpaste off the sink (and mirror, and walls- what are they actually doing in there?!).
The Shock Factor
Here’s the part I didn’t expect: they started competing - for chores. They were asking who could clean faster, who could do more, and who got the “big money” note. It was like The Price Is Right, but with cleaning supplies.
Suddenly, “vacuuming the stairs” wasn’t beneath them; it was an opportunity. And I didn’t have to say a word beyond “Check complete, flip your note.”
The Bonus Lesson (That I Pretended Was the Plan All Along)
Yes, they earned a few dollars, but they also learned a bit about effort and reward. The more thorough the job, the more likely they’d get something worth the work. It built pride in doing a task right and being able to move on without redoing it again and again.
I’d gladly hand over a few bucks for a cleaner house and zero nagging. The silence alone was worth $20.
A budget-friendly version could be extra permissions- staying up later, whoever does this one gets to pick the cereal, etc…
It wasn’t perfect, but it worked better than anything else we’ve tried. It turned chores into something fun, competitive, and just chaotic enough to keep them interested.
So if your house feels like mine did that weekend - sticky floors, sticky fingers, sticky everything - grab some notes, a Sharpie, and a few dollar bills. You might just find your new favorite parenting hack.
