I threw a clean, white t-shirt on Oliver after school one day last week because we were headed out for dinner and the one he’d worn to school was a sloppy sampling of everything he’d eaten, written with or walked past that day. In an already-slightly-defeated tone I offered, “If this shirt is still clean by the time we get home, I’ll pay you one quarter!”
I have to remember that my boy loves a good challenge.
And believe it or not, he got that quarter! I was duly impressed.
And then, he wanted to swing a deal: Every day that he comes home from school with a perfectly-clean shirt, I pay him one quarter. (He’s saving up for a trip to Chuck E. Cheese at the moment. Oh, to be a kid again!)
I agreed and we shook on it. It was a pretty safe deal since he was two weeks deep into Kindergarten and I’d been stain-fighting every day at 4pm.
This child of mine, he is motivated by quarters, stickers and Legos. And I don’t mind him learning a thing or two about taking care of things, self-awareness, and saving up for something he really wants to do.
So I guess I wasn’t too surprised when it was time to get dressed for school the next morning and I offered him shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, he protested: long sleeves = more surface area for collecting stains. He didn’t want to risk it, sweet boy.
So far this week, he has earned three quarters and lost one (you can lose a quarter faster than your can say “skeeball” if you are disrespectful to your Mama!). I’m pretty proud of him.
But what I didn’t anticipate was how proud he would become of himself. He really took ownership of this! Last night I went upstairs to “second-tuck” him in and I found him lining up bowls and buckets and pushcarts from the playroom to contain his anticipated haul of clean-shirt money. He wanted to show me his shelf with bowls and the “key” he’d made so he’d know where to put the dollars, quarters, and the “other fingeys”.
He said he was looking for his spare pillow case (it was in the wash) in case he needed to carry coins around in that, too.
This child was preparing for SUCCESS!!
That “second tuck-in” is always worth it! (and so is waiting until the next morning for pretty, natural lighting to photograph the scene…) :)
Stop it right now that’s amazing. He totally thinks in terms of “if this idea is good, I will mass produce it. Probably from the East.” helviticoliver. I will get some change next week in order to make him love me more.
That kid. It’s like looking into a time machine mirror.
Adorable! I think I shall adopt this concept to keep my 4 year old from wiping his nose on his shirt! He loves CEC!!
So fabulous. I love the key. I’m just jealous that he’s not, you know, EATING the money.
Maybe we need to explain Chuck E. Cheese to our kids?
how seriously sweet is this little boy. thank you for the reminder that it is never too early to start teaching savings and how to earn money for special things to the little ones. we’ve had a piggy but i have a little guy in pre-k so my hope and prayer is to get on it this next school year before big k! :)
Haha! That is awesome. He DID attempt to potty train Hazel for Legos, right? I’d say you’ve got a keeper on your hands. Hmm…can I put away laundry? I’d pay him in Legos, Chuck E. Cheese tokens or any other preferred currency. BTW~ We’re both going to Influence! I’m pumped. ;)
Yes! He was an enthusiastic potty coach (?) for her! Unfortunately, Hazel did not match his enthusiasm. Still in diapers :/
So excited to get to hang out in October!!!
I don’t know if you really get into this kind of thing, but I nominated you for the sunshine award. No pressure to post about it, I just wanted to let you know you (and your blog) make me happy. And this post is no exception. :)
http://www.morelikehome.net/2012/09/a-little-sunshine.html
Hey Georgia – thanks for the nomination and even more for the kind words :) You make me happy, too!
Oh my goodness: I adore his sweet self!!!
This is so sweet!!! I wish I set myself up for success like that :) And genius to avoid the long sleeves, that boy is SMART!
This cracked me up. I love his enthusiasm-totally shooting for the moon. I wonder how to preserve that child-like hope and positivity for the longterm…..Precious.