First, let me say, London is not one of those kids who throws a fit in the store when she is told "no" after asking for a toy. She does ask each and every time we go somewhere but, to me, that is just a normal kid thing to do. Heck, kids continue to ask their parents to buy them stuff well into adulthood so I don't see asking as a behavioral problem. The problem arises when the child responds inappropriately when told "no" and only gets bigger when parents give in to that inappropriate behavior. Thus, a vicious cycle is born.
There's my SuperNanny tidbit for the day. Only one a day, so don't ask for anymore.
Anyway, Paul and I feel it's important to not only get the kids started on chores at an early age (you know, before they fully realize what they're doing) but also to teach them the basic value of a dollar. Particularly, OUR dollars!
So we started with a goal:
First, London wanted a My Little Pony House, hence the picture at the top for encouragement. She later changed her mind to a Dora Mermaid Doll which brought her goal from $16.00 down to $12.00. We then assigned a dollar value to certain chores London was capable of doing. .25 cents for some, .50 cents for others. Yes, it takes a long time to get to $12 when you're only earning .25 cents at a time, but London never lost her enthusiasm!
London did LOTS of laundry. I'm not kidding when I say this, but that little four-year-old can pretty much do an entire load by herself. She loads, sets & starts the washer, (I do the detergent), transfers the clothes to the dryer, sets & starts that (she's done it so many times, I don't have to tell her anything), then when the clothes are dry, she unloads the dryer and helps Mommy or Daddy fold and put away the clothes. I literally don't touch the clothes until it's time to fold them.
At times, the diaper-clad supervisor comes in and "gets on her back", if you know what I mean!
She also works on her letters and numbers. She can write her name so well now I'm actually quite impressed!
She washes the dishes! Yes, she washed all those dishes you see on the counter, except the large plates. She does such a good job I rarely have to re-wash anything! Would you believe she actually ASKS to do this? She loves it!
She picks up her toys. She has to keep her clubhouse, her room and the playroom clean. She will even pick up Kirby's toys without argument! That's the power of a Dora Mermaid Doll!
SUCCESS!!! She paid the cashier all by herself at Wal-mart. She is such a big girl! Words cannot express how proud we are of her. She really did a great job. She set a goal and went after it. Never once did we have to push or prod her. She is so proud of herself, too!
Can I get a "You Go Girl" for my little achiever?!
