sticker charts

I've resorted to sticker charts. It's not that I don't like sticker charts; I just don't use them because I'm afraid I won't keep up with them...and then it's all a waste. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Trevin has (always) been uncooperative but with Kelly being gone so much it seems like I have to suffer the brunt of it alone a lot lately.

Let me back up......I am a morning person. I like to get up early, get my things done for the day, and then relax. So by 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening I am DONE. DONE--as in, my kids better do what I ask when I ask (I'm mostly referring to brushing their teeth and GONIG TO BED) because my energy is spent. I don't have the willpower to convince, argue, coerce, etc. them to go to bed. Trevin is the worst.....as soon as I say "go brush your teeth and get ready for bed" he starts in with the whining "Nooooooo, I can't do it.....I need heeeeelp......I'm too tiiiiiiired.....I don't waaaaaaant to." I had just about had it. We also have this problem in the morning with him brushing his teeth but not to the same extent (and plus I am more able to deal with that in the morning seeing as how I'm a morning person.) So I asked my brilliant husband for help and he suggested....a sticker chart. It wasn't exactly the miracle "cure" I was hoping for but I didn't have any other ideas and I needed to try something so we now have.....a sticker chart.

It's pretty simple. It works like this: T can earn 1 sticker in the morning for not complaining when I ask him to brush his teeth (fairly easy, and so far, so good--3 stickers in 3 days.) At night he can earn 1 sticker for getting pjs on, brushing teeth, and going to bed without complaining. Not so easy.....each night so far his immediate reaction has been to snap "NO!" at me. I then proceed to shake my head sadly and say, "Oh, that's too bad. You didn't earn a sticker tonight. I hope tomorrow night you'll do what Mommy asks without complaining." So far the guilt trip has worked and he sadly gets up and gets ready for bed. And no, he hasn't earned a sticker for doing what I asked the second time. I am a stickler for the rules: NO COMPLAINING, period. No second chances. (The whole point is to eliminate the whining, not to lessen it.)

10 stickers = a trip to the store for a new Hot Wheels car (I figure a $1 toy is worth it).

Of course it didn't take Kyler and Kierstyn to figure out that if T was going to get a "prize" then they wanted to earn one, too. Kelly was in charge of making up their guidelines and it goes something like this: brush their teeth morning and night (we have a problem with that around here) and do some exercises (situps, pushups, etc.) every day and they earn 1 sticker/day. 10 stickers = a prize. I'm not sure exactly what their "exercise requirements" are or what their prize is when they get 10 stickers--I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go along. And--no surprise here--Kierstyn made her own chart. Now I have to make one for Kyler.
So here's wishing us luck on our sticker chart adventure!....anyone have any pointers or other helpful suggestions? We'll try (almost) anything around here!