WINchips

Parents,

Are you feeling frustrated with the amount of time your children are spending on electronic devises? You are not alone. Montana native, Lindsay Winn, was feeling the same frustration. "Every morning during the summer months, I would find them still in their pajamas, bedroom a mess, house a mess and just spending way too much time in front of the screen," states Winn.

Winn wanted her children to explore, create and play. She knew screen time was taking that away from them, so she decided to do something about it. In 2017, with pen and paper in hand, Winn set out to put a system in place that would motivate her children. Her goal was to create a system that would encourage her children to do the things she knew was good for them, such as reading, building, playing board games, playing outside, being creative, and taking care of their responsibilities, without her having to consistently nag at them.

Winn began by creating a checklist of all the things she wanted her children to do. As parents, we all know how hard it can be to get kids to do things they do not want to do, but Winn had a plan for that – a reward! By completing their list, Winn's children were rewarded with WINchips.

Winn shared her system with friends and family and asked them to provide feedback. After trial and error, and jumping through lots of hoops, Winn came up with the final prototype of WINchips. With the help of Montana artist, Erin Romo, and Montana graphic design team, Dustin and Sara Harmon, Winn was able to go to print with WINchips.

Winn states, "The system encourages experiences as rewards, but some parents have incorporated a WINchips store as well." She adds, "Some of the experiences include play dates, pizza parties, family movie nights, child's choice meal selection, or anything that is rewarding to the child. I have heard some parents putting gum, stickers, Chapstick, sticky hands, and others in a "store" to change things up a bit."

WINchips:

WINchips comes complete with:

• A 40-page notepad of daily lists

• 2 envelopes "Needs Approval" and "Paid"

• Cleaning lists for each room in the house

• 1 dry erase marker 

• Sample Things to Buy with WINchips Menu

• Sample Activities Menu (to earn more WINchips)

Where can I buy WINchips?

1. Sidney Mercantile

2. Walt's Market, Williston

3. Books on Broadway, Williston

4. Amazon Prime

5. http://www.winchipsonline.com

WINchips receives great reviews on http://www.winchipsonline.com:

One user writes, "I've been using WINchips the last few months and I'm impressed with how it's motivating my kids!! At first my 6-year-old was the only one interested. She was getting her task finished and asking to do EXTRA chores to earn more WINchips! The boys (10 &11) are now seeing how it's paying off and showing interest! I would definitely recommend trying WINchips."

From WINchips creator, Lindsay Winn:

Winn states, "I am very grateful for the love and support that I have experienced in creating and marketing WINchips! It would not have been possible without my husband, Dave Winn, my friends, family, and this amazing community... It has been the perfect remedy for our family to minimize electronic usage and encourage all of those things we wish our children would do more of!  I really hope others can find success with this system as well!"