The Tattle Jar

In an effort to curb children's irrepresible instinct to tattle, we started a "Tattle Jar" in our house. We recently instituted a small allowance to the kids based on how well they kept up with their responsibilities (getting ready for school, cleaning their bedroom, chores, piano lessons, homework, taxes, etc.), so I decided I could charge them 1 cent to tattle, unless someone was getting hurt, in which case it would be free. The first few days, the girls didn't seem to really catch on. It was like they felt it was a privilege to pay to tattle. Especially Brooke, who can't hold on to money to save her life. She was paying for other people's tattles! (One evening Todd came home, glanced in the jar and exclaimed, "What's a quarter doing in here!!!???" No, she didn't have 25 tattles all at once, but she'd run out of pennies and needed change). My sister-in-law Jill, told me about a similar idea a teacher friend of hers had instituted in her class. She had the kids write down the tattle and put it in a jar, and told them she'd read them when she had a chance and if she thought it was important she'd follow up on it. Eventually the kids got sick of writing them out, so they stopped. I decided to give my kids that option as well. So, they could work it out themselves, pay 1 cent to tattle right away if they wanted me to do something about it, or they could write it down for free and I would read them some time later. Since we started (about 2 months ago) I have 8 pennies in the jar, not counting the quarter, of which only 2 cents were actually spent on tattles, and three written tattles. Pretty good for 2 months worth, I think. For kicks, this is what the written tattles say:

From Janelle: "Brooke took something speshol."

From Sophie: "Brooke is eating Golden Puffs without the healthy." [Explanation: I make my kids mix the sweetened cereal with the unsweetened kind to cut down on the sugar. Apparently Brooke didn't mix the two, and Sophie couldn't handle it.]

From Sophie and Brooke: "Brooke saw Janelle have candy from the apple jar in her hands and I heard crinkling from her hands and saw the end of a piece of candy AND there are whoppers missing from my carton. I think Janelle stole." [Yes, I think Janelle did take candy without permission, but really, who counts their whoppers?]

Also a nice little note in the jar that says, "I love you mom." :)