Dawn - The answer to your question about what happens if the kids don't get their chores done before we leave in the morning:
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It's really rather simple. If they don't get it done on their day, they have to do that chore the next day, plus their next day's chore. Making that child have two chores on that day. For example, if they were supposed to unload the dishwasher on Monday but didn't get it done, they would have to unload the dishwasher plus do their laundry on Tuesday. And whoever was supposed to unload the dishwasher on Tuesday would then be excused from their chore that day.
You'd think that wouldn't be much of an incentive but if they have to continue a chore until the next day, that means a sibling gets out of doing that chore. That seems to be what makes the system work so well. None of them want their sibling to get a day off! And on the few occasions it does happen, the sibling who gets out of their chore usually makes such a celebration about it that it doesn't happen again!
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