A Glassful of Marbles

Behaviour in our household has transformed over the last couple of months. Since this day in August I have consciously changed my behaviour towards the Little Misses.
The "no shouting" rule has pretty much been kept to. Their shocked, upset reactions to one or two isolated incidents proved how rare it has become.
They don't shout at me, don't shout at each other as much and everyone is MUCH happier.
Something so simple as stopping shouting - and it really was surprisingly simple - has changed my whole outlook. I don't feel angry all the time, I enjoy the children more, don't resent their demands on my time, don't feel like I'm about to have a heart attack as I scream at them to get dressed/into the car/into the bath/out of the bath etc etc.
Our house became calmer overnight. Amazing!
Also the marbles have been a triumph! They get marbles for good behaviour, sharing, clearing their plates away, getting dressed without being asked a million times etc, and they get 20p per marble.
Marbles can be taken away but generally the threat of taking one away is enough to get them back on the straight and narrow!
They get their dosh on Saturday mornings.
Miss E decided a few weeks ago to save up for a Toy Story Slinky Dog that she's seen. It's £9 and she's been so good writing down her total every Saturday and even swapping money Auntie T gave her and some coins Nana gave her the other day for marbles.
This Saturday she's going to have a grand total of about £11.
And she'll be able to go and buy the thing she wants, with her own money which she's saved up for weeks, earned by being kind, helpful, considerate and generally lovely.
How fantastic is that?