Sticker Chart

Little Guy is going through a phase. Testing at every turn. On a good day, the kid has a ton of energy, but for the last few weeks, it has gone up a notch. Likely we're hitting a developmental spurt, but seriously, he's killing me. He wants my attention constantly. When he doesn't have it, he's doing whatever it takes to get it.

I decided to put him on a reward system. Bribery by way of the sticker chart. We went to Walgreens and picked out some Toy Story stickers. I explained the plan to him.

"So I'll get a toy when I earn my stickers?" he asked.

Yes, I said. Ten stickers, and you can have the rocket launcher (don't ask).

But then we got to the part about how he earned the stickers - no hitting his sister, behaving at dinner, no name calling. He looked distressed. He asked if he could just get them for going potty, something he's been doing since the end of last summer.

Can you just get the reward for something you already do well? Um, no. Sorry buddy, that's not how it works.

But wouldn't it be nice if we could all stack the deck a little?