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Summer days used to be tedious at our house when summer school, swimming lessons, and sleeping late still left too much free time. “What shall I do now?” my children constantly queried.

Several years ago I found an answer to that question: a family contest! And if your summer sanity hangs by a thread, you might want to try it, too.

First, I made a list of essential chores—my minimum housekeeping standards. Then I divided the chores among the children and tried to think of a prize that would entice them into working for it. I decided to award one point for each day’s assigned work if it was completed properly and promptly. The high point winner had dinner out with mom and dad at the end of the summer.

My preschoolers emptied waste-baskets, carried laundry, set the table, and fed the cat. The older children changed sheets, vacuumed, dusted, swept the patios, watered plants, mowed the lawn, and washed the car. Floor mopping, I discovered, is a popular pastime with children of all ages.

For the rest of the summer we enjoyed relative peace, sibling rivalry was channeled constructively, and we had time for family fun. The winners of the contest—our two oldest children, who tied—selected dinner at a Chinese restaurant for their reward.

The following summer, flushed with my initial success, I expanded the contest to include reading. To a simple poster board, I attached papers for each child to record the titles, authors, and numbers of pages he read. The requirements were personalized for each child, based upon his age and ability to read. After reaching a specific number of pages, he could collect an ice-cream cone. When he reached the next level, the child could choose a recreational outing; after another increment, he could choose a gift for himself, its cost not to exceed a certain amount of money, or cash of the same amount. Giving rewards along the way kept everyone working hard all summer.

I purposely encouraged reading selected material by giving double credit for books of scripture, Church history stories, biographies, and classics.

The next year I expanded my contest to other projects. I made a list of suggestions and assigned varying amounts of credit to each, including stitchery, clothing construction, rug hooking, cooking, building, painting, repairing, and writing letters. In addition, a child might undertake any other project by making advance arrangements.

As rewards, I offered unusual outings, treats, and small amounts of cash, listing the number of credits needed to earn them. Many of the outings were part of our normal summer activity, but the children loved the element of earning a “prize.” Of course, I hoped that the contests would eventually convince the children that participation in the activities was its own reward, but being alone with Mom and Dad as the winner on some of these adventures made the rewards more immediate.

We hold a family awards banquet at the end of each summer. After an elegant dinner of our favorite foods, I catalogue each person’s summer accomplishments and present cash to those who prefer their award, or part of it, in that form. At the banquet I also award small trophies extolling each person’s outstanding summer success: a budding Scout was “First Class”; a girl who learned to swim was “Super Fish”; a newly baptized child was “New Member”; a novice dressmaker was “Sew Super.” The summer we remodeled our house, Father was “Best Builder.”

I might add just a few words of caution, gained from experience:

• Be very specific about the hour and minute your contest begins and ends. (A young aspiring attorney can make your life miserable with exceptions to the rule.)

• Appoint yourself sole judge of credits earned and sole bookkeeper. (This will avoid endless arguments.)

• Be generous in your estimates of what your children can and will want to accomplish. (One summer, a dedicated reader almost put me in the poor house.)

Now enjoy yourselves, and have a happy and fruitful summer! Angela B. Haight, Menlo Park