Chore Wheel

Here's a successful chore method we've used:

Each day, everyone is in charge of their bedroom and one other room of the house. They don't have to clean the entire room themselves, but they have to make sure the room gets clean. One of the days is a free day where you're only in charge of your bedroom.We have two rules: no TV until the chores are done, and if someone asks you to clean up your things out of the room they are in charge of you have to do it nicely and quickly, or you don't earn your smiley face for the day.

If, at the end of the day, the room you are in charge of is clean and you have been nice about helping in the other rooms, you get a smiley face. (Adelyn wanted to do stars, so I let her.) If you've been extra helpful and wonderful, you get double smiley's. Otherwise, frowny face.

If you have earned five smiley faces by Saturday, you get to pick out of the reward basket.
Key to making this work: Every week, the reward basket has at least a couple different things in it. It keeps the kids excited about being surprised.

Behavior Dino

Here is one system I've used successfully for good behavior. We have a Dinosaur Tracks museum near our house that we have wanted to visit. I decided to use this to my advantage and printed off a couple dinosaur pictures online. I cut the top piece into puzzle-shape pieces and taped them over the bottom picture. When the kids were really nice or helpful or unselfish, they got to take a piece off the dinosaur picture. (Yes, the bottom picture sometimes ripped a little, but oh well.) Once the picture was uncovered, we went to the Dinosaur museum and had a lot of fun.

If you're into negative reinforement, you could tape pieces back on when children misbehave. For my kids, I have found it works better to separate positive and negative disciplining tools, however.

Next, we'll do Jumping Jacks or swimming at the rec center or whatever is most motivational for the munchkins.