Learning and Growing: Organization

In a house of 4 growing kids a little bit of organization is heaven.
I found frustration with my pantry being raided at an alarming rate. The disconcerting act of emptying and disorganizing my pantry told me that the kids were growing, the expensive food bill was getting more expensive and I'd always be missing something for dinner prep.
So I tried "selling" the snacks to the kids. We had a change jar in the pantry and a "per piece price" listed on each box. The kids were divied up equal amounts of change that they could use to "buy" thier snacks with. When the box was gone there would be enough to buy another box. Sounded good, but it didn't keep the kids honest when they burned through thier alotted money amounts. So I found an idea on the internet (another blog). It was brilliance and I was desperate to try anything.
SNACK BOXES.
We have been successfully using these for nearly 3 months now. Woohoo! A habit!

Pantry view of the buckets
They are just clear shoe size plastic bins with thier names on them.
So here's how it works.

Pixie shows her bucket organization
Once a month or each pay period we fill up thier snack buckets with a variety of known items they will consume in large quantities if uncontrolled. Combine with healthy snacks and wa lah! I also keep the fridge available with carrot and celery sticks, cheese sticks and fruits of a rotating variety.

Roadrunner and his bucket
The snack buckets rules are as follows:
1. You may eat as much or as little as you want from your bucket but when its gone its gone until refill.
2. The snacks are used for both house made lunches and after-school/late night snacks.
3. You may swap with another if you don't like something on refill day only.
4. You cannot take from anothers bucket
and Last
5. You must ask about anything else in the pantry.

Roadrunner's idea of organizing
Its fun to see the kids organize thier buckets, to see them develop spacial skills and to learn bartering skills. They also have learned self control and moderation. Noodle has noticed that she's not as chubby. They often have two or three things left over by refill day. I never have to listen to the whine "I'm hungry!" or "what can I eat?"

Bookworm's organization
The first time we did it we only went two weeks as we expected the kids to be unwise with thier buckets. They moved through the uncomfortable week with an empty bucket and we've never suffered one since.