Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the difference between The Miracle Muic Game and The Children's Miracle Music Game?
A. They are exactly the same game. We decided to take out the word "Children's" because the game is designed for the whole family to play together.
Q. How is The Miracle Music Game different from a chore chart?
A. A chore chart is regulated by a parent as a means by which to track a child’s daily or weekly job accomplishments. If a parent is not there to oversee the chores getting done, they don’t. This produces parent-governed children who have no desire to be self-governed even as adults. The Miracle Music Game is a temporary training tool which is designed to train all individuals in the family (including the parent’s) to have the self-governed habit of quickly doing ten minutes of minimum daily cleaning to easily maintain their home. The key to this training is the uplifting and highly motivational music that is used as a timing mechanism in the simple to use and fun game. By playing the game every day, each family member will soon learn to do their small part out of habit, and they will have the desire to do it because they know that they are doing it to show their family that they love them. As soon as they have the habit, skill, and desire to be self-governed in doing their “Acts of Kindness” (jobs), getting ready for the day on time, getting ready for bed on time, and helping their siblings to do the same, means that the training tool has accomplished its purpose and doesn’t need to be used anymore. It also means that the children in the home will grow up to have the desire to continue to be responsible, without supervision, when they are adults. This is the goal.
Q. What is the difference between Miracle Music #1 and #2?
A. Miracle Music Game #1 has different music on it than #2. They both have the same motivational routine and points.
Q. What age is the The Miracle Music Game designed for?
A. According to our research, every person, starting when they are born and continuing the rest of their lives, needs to do the same eight things in the morning, and four things at night, in order to maintain a home and to take care of their external bodies. An infant, for example, needs to have his blankets straitened, diaper changed, clothes put on, breakfast eaten, and to start learning, by example, how to take care of an area of the home. An infant can accomplish this, during the music, by watching a ‘team-mate’ (trainer) who is responsible for helping him learn how to do his points. By age two the child will most likely be a big contributor in doing his practiced “Act of Kindness” (cleaning). He will recognize which music he is supposed to do each point with in order to get ready for the day in the morning, and into bed at night. Practice makes perfect. A teenager can learn to do his points much faster than a small child, which means that he will be a much bigger contributor to maintaining the home. Also, he will quickly be able to become a ‘team-mate’ to a younger sibling (if he has one) which will train him to be a great parent when he has his own children.
Q. What if our family is used to eating breakfast first?
A. The Miracle Music Game trains individuals in the principal of ‘work before you play’ by placing the “Eat your Breakfast” point after the “Act of Kindness” and getting ready points. This order of points gives great motivation to family members to accomplish their so called ‘work’ points so that they can get to their ‘play’ point of eating breakfast.
Q. Will we get tired of hearing the same music every day?
A. In our research we found that songs which contain words become tiresome to hear when played frequently. On the other hand, music that does not have words can be played once a day for years and still be exciting, mood changing, and fun. The Miracle Music game uses music selections that do not have words, for every point except one.
Q. What kind of music does the game have on it?
A. We spent years looking for the right music which would motivate an individual to accomplish each specific task. The selections that we chose have the exact rhythm, uplifting mood, length of time, and exciting instrumental arrangements which create a desire for active participation in doing each point. Many of the compositions that we chose are invigorating classical pieces. The non-classical music selections are just as uplifting and powerfully motivating.
Q. How does the whole family play the game together?
A. To play the game, place a CD player in a central location in the home, (i.e. near the top or bottom of the stairs etc.) turn up the volume and press the play button so that everyone in the home can hear the music and do their points at the same time. Playing the game together sets a good example for children to learn that everyone, including adults, need to do their part. It's a great motivator to see everyone participating.
Another option is to place one CD alarm clock upstairs, and another one downstairs, and then set them both to automatically start playing at the same time. Cordless speakers around the home, or having the CDs play over an intercolm are other options for geting the music to play throughout your home.
Q. What are the names of the songs on the CD’s?
A. We purchased the rights to use the music we selected from music libraries. The libraries often name their pieces based on the mood that it produces instead of familiar titles, which is why the names of the songs are not listed on the game.
Q. How long will the game continue to be effective with my family?
A. Years. However, The Miracle Music Game is designed to be a temporary training tool. It should only be used until individuals develop the habit, skill and desire to quickly clean the house (so that they can show those they live with that they love them), to get ready for the day in the morning ON TIME, and to get ready for bed ON TIME at night, without any exterior motivation. This training helps raise self-governed, responsible, clean, and loving adults. These habits, skills and desires should be learned before children leave their parents home and go out on their own.
Q. What if I have family members who get up a lot earlier than the rest of the family?
A. There are two options. Option one: The individual who gets up earlier can put the game on his own CD alarm clock and do his point by himself. The rest of the family can do their points together at a later time. Option two: The whole family can get up at the earlier time, do their points together and then those that do not need to leave early can have extra time to talk and play before they need to leave. It is best to play the game together so that each individual can see their family members loving them by sacrificing their time and energy to help them have a clean place to live.
Q. What if there isn’t enough time to do the task?
A. On the back of the game board it explains six parenting principals that positively motivate individuals to want to be self-governed in doing their points. One of those six principals says to help the person who is responsible for an area of the home do research on how to best take care of it in the allotted amount of time, and as a professional. This is important as they will be doing this same task for the rest of their lives and should be able to do it quickly and efficiently. There are amazing time saving and easy techniques for doing life-long necessary tasks, which are readily available if you look. We will be sending out free tips, saving years of time and effort in this area, to those signed up on our email list.
Q. How does every family member use the bathroom during the same point?
A. Not all family members will need to use the bathroom at that time. If they do, individuals who are waiting for their turn can start the next point (the Act of Kindness) until the bathroom is available.
Q. What if a family member doesn’t finish their point before the next point starts?
A. That individual should finish the point he is on before starting the next point and try to catch up with the music. A point is only earned when a task is completed before the allotted music ends. (You may want to give a very young child who try’s to accomplish his task his point anyway.) Learning to do ones points quickly is a necessary life skill which, like learning to play the piano, takes practice.
Q. How do I get my own points done, as a mother, when I have so many little ones to help do theirs?
A. If you are the only “trainer” and have more than one little one to be a team-mate to, you may want to get ready before you put the music on. This will enable you to have more time to focus on training your little ones. A trainer who helps a team-mate do his points still gets her points.
Q. What if I have a teenager who wants more time to do his hair than the music allows?
A. You may want to tell him that you will be putting the music on at a specific time each morning, and if he wants extra time to get ready he can get up that much earlier. This way everyone will always be ready to eat breakfast together at the same time. Encouraging less time in front of the mirror, and more time on creating a good looking inside (by serving others every morning) can be done by asking him to be a trainer to a younger sibling when the music goes on. Letting a teenager know how much he is needed by his family, in the way of being a trainer, enables him to shift his thinking to ‘What can I do for you?’ instead of just serving himself.
Q. What if I don’t have enough money to take each child on an individual private date approximately every two weeks?
A. Private dates don’t have to cost any money. The goal of going out on the date is to spend focused time with that person, so that you can get to know them better and better. We will be giving out great ideas for dates to those who have signed up for our email. One idea is to let the children know that they can only have an ‘out of the house’ date every third time. This means that they can choose fun things to do with either their mom or dad privately, and without interruption, IN the house during their ‘in house’ dates. For instance, they may want to have a picnic by spreading out a blanket on the floor of a locked room, eating a specially prepared meal, and playing a game that they love with their parent. Choosing a specific amount of time that you shouldn’t be interrupted is key to making ‘in house’ dates be fun and emotionally intimate. ‘In house’ dates also work for private dates that parent’s go on with each other.
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