Looking to incentivize good behavior in your home? How about teaching your kid the value of a dollar? If so, on either front, look no further than these mom bucks! More on just how they work in a bit, but rest assured that these mom bucks, printable in 3 denominations, have got your back! 🙂
What Are Mom Bucks?
Mom bucks are pretend money that you use to pay your kids for good behavior, such as helping out around the house without being asked. So, they’re Monopoly money, but better. Better how? I’m so glad you asked.
Yep, you sure could use fake money, like from an old Monopoly game or even printable play money as mom bucks. And yes, printable money combined with a money chart for kids might be a good way to help your child learn to recognize and count “real” currency. However, I like to use the mom bucks printable below because:
- It’s fun. The bright colors really make these mom bucks pop and lend a whimsical, fun air to the whole thing.
- It’s easy. The mom bucks printable only has 3 denominations, which means you spend less time trying to figure out what things are worth. Remember, mom bucks should make your life easier not more complicated!
Tip: You can print these mom bucks on thicker paper to make them way more durable than most board game money!
Download Mom Bucks Printable
Wondering how to make mom bucks? Stop. Yes, you could figure out how to make mom bucks on your own using your artistic skills and maybe some calligraphy, but it is so much faster to just snag this printable and use it. Save your time!
How to Make Mom Bucks
Okay, so now you know what mom bucks are and you’ve (hopefully) snagged your mom bucks printable. There are just two things left to do before you can start using mom bucks in your home. One, you have to establish how to make mom bucks; what does your kid have to do to earn them? Two, you have to establish an exchange system; what can your kid buy with mom bucks and how many does it take?
First, let’s talk about how to earn mom bucks. We’ll get to mom bucks ideas for rewards in the next section.
Option 1: Tie earning mom bucks to things your kid is already going to do (such as homework) or things you would already assign to your child (like household chores). In other words, these are tasks that are not optional and mom bucks are just there to make the experience a little less of a chore (haha, get it?).
If you want to use a mom bucks chore chart or homework chart, simply add values to this:
Option 2: Create a special mom bucks chore chart. The idea here is that the items on the mom bucks chore chart are optional. They’re a way for your kid to go above and beyond what’s required of them (basic chores, homework) and thus earn rewards.
Tip: The goal should be for the chore to be perhaps a little less pleasant or a little more challenging than their day-to-day chores, but still age appropriate. In other words, don’t make the ask impossible! If you need some help coming up with chore ideas, check out this:
- Printable cleaning schedule – It lists cleaning tasks room-by-room.
- Cleaning checklist bundle – This checklist is 29 pages long, so you should be able to find plenty of chore inspiration.
- Spring cleaning checklist – This checklist includes cleaning activities that typically only get tackled once or twice a year. They might be a bigger deal and warrant a higher denomination mom bucks printable!
Mom Bucks Ideas for Rewards
Okay, now that you’ve figured how your kid can make mom bucks, let’s talk about what is sure to be their favorite part—the rewards! Probably the easiest thing to do is to create a reward chart for kids that lists approximately 10 things your child can exchange mom bucks for.
As your child ages and begins to value new things, what incentivizes a five-year-old may not work quite as well for an eight-year-old, you can add new mom bucks ideas to the reward chart. You can also make “limited time” additions based on seasonality, like a trip to go ice skating in the winter or a slumber party in the summer.
Here are some mom bucks ideas to consider:
- Special edible treats. These do not have to be unhealthy. Get inspired with these 38 healthy and delicious snacks for kids, like these M&M quinoa cookies.
- Screen time.
- Real money. If it fits your budget, come up with an exchange rate. Perhaps 10 mom bucks are worth $1 of real money?
- Slumber parties.
- Special outings. These do not have to have a high price tag. It could be something as simple as a trip to a favorite park.
Bonus: As we get closer to summer, perhaps some of these free activities can offer mom bucks ideas for rewards! Here are free summer activities for kids and for teens.
Mom bucks can be a valuable addition to your household. When used correctly they can incentivize good behavior, teach your kid the value of a dollar (even a fake, brightly colored one!), and make your life a little easier.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.