chore binders

Admittedly, I am easily distractable and need a lot of external organization to keep me on task. For this reason I live by my daily schedule that I keep posted on the fridge. That helps me to keep track of what I need to do, but it's harder for me to track what the kids are supposed to do and what they have finished. In the past I have tried giving my kids daily chore lists but they would just end up losing them. Because I have a hard time tracking myself and my kids, and what we are supposed to be accomplishing around here I am always looking for new ideas. So when Emily showed me her girls' chore binders I fell in love! They reminded me of how well a planner works for me and that the same concept could work for my kids! So I typed up chore/task lists along with the schedule for each day of the week and put them in a report cover for each child. The binders, in connection with a point tracking system, are really working for us!
The lists show exactly what is expected of them and each item on their list equates to a certain number of points. If they do their tasks without being asked or reminded they get a bonus point for that particular thing. If they complain about a job when asked to do it they lose a point. They also lose points if I have to remind them after that. Individual points are marked in their binder and then tallied on a tracking sheet I have posted in a noticeable place. At the end of the week we add all of their daily points together and they can cash them in for money or prizes (including things like extra computer time or renting a movie). The added incentive is that they have to finish their jobs daily to be able to do their preferred activities (such as computer, wii, or playing with friends). I love that when they ask me if they can do something all I have to say is, "let's take a look at your binder and see." It allows them to be more responsible for their own stuff and I am no longer [directly] the "bad guy." Everything is right there for us to see and no more lost lists!
I also stole the idea of daily secret service from Emily (it's right there on their list!). However, we have stopped trying to keep it a secret (mostly because I am nosey and want to know what they did).