Posted: 21 June 2006 at 11:13am | IP Logged

I started this and it is a “hands on” discipline program that most ADHD kids will respond to.  ADHD kids need to participate in their discipline.  They do well if they are able to have hands on and participate in.  If they can see it, they will respond to it.  This is what I do.  I keep a log, but he is the one to add and remove the marbles.  I am also ADHD, so this system works for me to keep consistency in our home.

Marble System:

I have two "PLASTIC" containers.  I have "in" on one and "out" on the other.  I have a List of all the good things that he is supposed to to, like chores and reading books, homework with out a complaint and working on left over worksheets his teacher gave us, and I add to it when I think about new tasks he should be working on.  Each one has a value.  The most value is 10 marbles for reading a book.  Cleaning his room is 3 marbles and keeping it clean is 5.  I have every thing from brushing his teeth, to picking up any trash that might be in the yard, to picking up sticks, to helping me pull weeds.  After he gets 100 marbles he gets $30.00 and he has to put $10 of it in his savings.  Now, if he does something wrong he has to take out marbles.  If he gets sassy or talks back, he takes out 3.  If he argues he takes out 5.  To keep track of what goes in and out, he has to write it on the paper.  That way he cannot put more marbles in there than he should.  I have not had to argue, raise my voice, spank, or even tell him more than 2 times to do something.  I will remind him ONE time for a warning and then he has to take marbles out.  We are doing this instead of an allowance.  If he reads 10 books in a row he will get his money and we start all over.  But, I don't think he has figured that out yet.  lol  At the end of each day, if he doesn't have to take any out all day, I let him put 3 in to reward him for good behavior.  This has been the best system for my son, yet.  I don't have to raise my voice and it's much easer to keep consistency when I don't have to raise my voice or put him in time out all the time.  This way he can see his progress, and he takes great pride in counting all the marbles he collects.  After he has mastered a skill, it moves off the list, and we add a new one. 

Posted: 22 June 2006 at 4:35pm | IP Logged

Do not give up if at first things don't seem to work well or even get worse. When first using the token system with my daughter, we had some initial bumps. We kept it up because the psychologist had warned us that there might be initial resistance as she was really held accountable. The psychologist was right .

Things are getting better all the time now.

Posted: 22 June 2006 at 8:31pm | IP Logged

keep with it.  you might have to find small things like putting the toilet lid down, turning lights off, picking his dirty clothes off the floor and things like that.  After the first few weeks, boy do they pick it up really quick.  lol 

oldtimer wrote:  Negative Consequences for some don't work today. They care less what you take away. Try 1 to 3 method. Real life will not reward you all the time. Some will only do if you pay them. I say you reward only for doing extra non required chores. Every humans needs to learn life skills so they can do for them selves. I say should start this at AGE 3. Life to kids is a game try making it into a game.

Well i disagree with this.  Real life does reward for good deeds.  People get raises and bonuses for working hard and saving money the companies they work for.  People that work get vacations for doing so well.  Some get awards and others get week end passes to theme parks.  Sorry, oldtimer, i disagree with you.  Have you ever been called into your boss' office and told that you did a great job and handed you a check or a gift certificate for a job well done?  That happens all the time.