Candy Jars

Candy is such a great teaching tool!

Here's how we starting using it in our home.

First, I bought these pretty glass jars from a thrift store and from Hobby Lobby.

Second, we talked about what stick figure picture they wanted on their jars. The stick figure represents them, so I let them tell me what they wanted to look like. For example, they both wanted pig tails, one wanted to be a spinning ballerina with a crown on her head and the other wanted to be a gymnast with a tutu. (Isn't that a ballerina?) Then they got to pick the font they wanted for their name. Then I designed them in SCAL and cut it out of vinyl on my Cricut.

Third, I made up this story about a little girl and her day. As the little girl goes throughout her day, each choice she makes either makes her happy or sad. She sees that the more good/happy choices she makes, she feels warm and FULL of happiness. (i.e. she gets dressed and brushes her teeth when mommy asks her, is nice to another girl at school, sets the table, helps her sister...) When she makes bad choices she sees that it makes her feel sad and EMPTY inside. (i.e. doesn't put her shoes on when it's time to go, complains when she has to turn off the T.V., doesn't eat her dinner, doesn't share...) As we told the story, we filled a blank jar with M&M's when she made choices that make her feel "FULL" and then took out M&M's when she made choices that made her feel "EMPTY". When the little girl made so many good choices she was overflowing with happiness and was able to share that with others around her. And when it came to that point in the story, there jar was so full that it was overflowing and we all got to have some M&M's.

Fourth, then we showed the girls their jars and explain that the same thing happens with each of us. Our choices make us "FULL" or "EMPTY" an

d the jar represents us and the M&M's represent our choices. When their jars are overflowing, they get to eat the candy that is overflowing & to give them a head start we started their jars half full.

Fifth, following through and consistency. This is the hard part. The girls have to see themselves throughout the day getting filled or emptied according to the choices they make. We've been doing this for almost a week and we've seen a difference in our home.

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We've really been trying to teach our children there are consequences for their actions and that their choices determine their happiness. This isn't the only parenting technique we use in our home, but it really helps!