Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Pasta jars - tip of the day

30 replies

roisin · 21/09/2004 15:02

Wahey! Soupdragon's pasta jars are a well-deserved tip of the day. I can't remember when we started using them - feels like eons ago - but we STILL have pasta jars in our house, and they still work.

Thank you again Soupdragon.

I could search for the relevant thread, but if I do I'll be late for school.

I love it when I can hiss the word pasta at the kids in public, and get an instantaneous result! Or they leap out of a successful swimming lessons shouting not, "How much pocket money bonus do I get for that?" but "Can I have two extra pieces of pasta for that?"!!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Bunglie · 21/09/2004 15:05

Feeling left out here....I want a pasta jar

I think I missed something can you explain why a pasta jar?

KateandtheGirls · 21/09/2004 15:05

OK, I missed the original thread. Soupy, what's this all about?

moniker · 21/09/2004 15:06

I still love mine and they work really well. I know what you mean roisin when they ask for extra peices - makes it sound like they are starving hungry and not getting fed enough!!!

Chandra · 21/09/2004 15:25

Please explain, how do the jars work?

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 15:29

At last! Fame! Fortune!

moniker · 21/09/2004 15:30

Fame maybe.................but you'd need an awful lot of pasta to earn a fortune!!! Shame you didn't patent the idea!!

Bunglie · 21/09/2004 15:31

OK Soupy......
Tell us....Please
The suspense is killing.....

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 15:32

DSs both have a jar. Each saturday I put 5 pieces in which equates to 50p pocket money (10p per piece). If they are badly behaved, I threaten to take a piece away meanig they'd lose 10p pocet money. If they're good or need bribing, I offer them an extra piece. Then, on Saturday morning, we count the pieces of pasta and swap them for 10ps which they put in their money boxes. The jars are then reset to 5 pieces and we start again.

A simple "Do I have to take a piece of pasta away...?" in a menacing tone of voice is usually enough to bring them into line and "Whoever helps me tidy up gets a piece of pasta!" usually gets the living room tidied up so that DH thinks I'e done something during the day.

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 15:33

I have to confess I stole the idea from a friend. The idea of hissing "pasta!" at my children in public was too good an idea to pass up.

moniker · 21/09/2004 15:33

Basically you get a load of coloured pasta (Soupy has letters, I have fusilli!!) and an empty jar for each child. You start with 5 peices in the jar (Sat am for us) and children earn or lose peices of pasta depending on their behaviour. One week later they get 10p for each piece of pasta in the jar and you re-set to 5 peices.

Does that sound OK Soupy??!! DS1 thinks me and DH should have one each as well!!

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 15:34

The tip on the home page does say this BTW, only more succinctly

Didn't win a prize for it though I wanted the Gruffalo Child.

moniker · 21/09/2004 15:35

Get yorself a jar then and start earning!! About 60 letters should do it!!

Bunglie · 21/09/2004 15:59

Does it work for a dh?
1 piece of pasta could equal a lot of things
I love the idea and think you should have won a prize....
I am looking for an empty jar now.....

Bunglie · 21/09/2004 16:00

What is a "Grufalo Child"?

Original poster

roisin · 21/09/2004 16:28

The reviewer in The Times on Saturday didn't rate the Gruffalo's Child (sequel to The Gruffalo Bunglie) ... but I think it's great. DSs both enjoyed it, but they're into the phase of read a book once, so we haven't got our money's worth out of it yet! I may donate it to school.

OP posts:

Kayleigh · 21/09/2004 16:34

what age were your kids when they started this ? My youngest is 3. Too young ?

hana · 21/09/2004 16:34

just wondering how old your kids were when you started this - dd just turned 3 and we don't give her any pocket money yet. Is she too young? Was thinking of some sort of chart......she's turning into a mini-monster!

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 16:35

DS1 is 5 and DS2 is 3. Neither had pocket money before this. You can always exchange the pasta for sweets, treats or anything really.

SoupDragon · 21/09/2004 16:36

What I like about the jar over a chart is that you can easily remove pieces. I do then give mine the chance to earn them back if they correct the "bad" behaviour.

Kayleigh · 21/09/2004 16:37

Hmmm. Definitely think I'll start this. Ds1 is just starting to understand about money so this would help him and ds2 needs some system to keep him on the straight and narrow

thanks soupy

hana · 21/09/2004 16:39

will give it a go too - maybe the sweets . thanks for the tip!

moniker · 21/09/2004 16:50

Bunglie - the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's Child are really lovely childrens books!! The GC has just come out and was the prize in one of the Mumsnet competitions!

Bunglie · 21/09/2004 16:56

I love the idea Soupy....
I just wish I had a child of the right age to do it on.
Will defo check out 'The Gruffalo'
Just tell me it has a happy ending, I hate sad endings and still can't cope when I see Bambi.

moniker · 21/09/2004 16:57

You could do it for yourself Bunglie - using ice cream as the reward perhaps??!!

fio2 · 21/09/2004 16:57

that is a great idea soupy

Flip

1 2