The Cotton Ball Jar

How do you get your kids to do things?

I mean the stuff they don’t want to do; eat, drink, sleep, you know, unreasonable chores like that?

And I know I’m not supposed to say “get your kid to do things” I’m supposed to say, “How can I make it more likely that my child will choose to. . . “ according to the Conscious Discipline people.

But I digress. . .

At our house, Lucy will do just about anything for a cotton ball. We put the cotton balls in the jar and when it’s full we do something amazing.

Well, wouldn’t you know it?! She filled the jar! 

Maybe because I’ve been giving her, like, 10 per night if she’ll just go to sleep without crying.

So the family went to Islands as a special treat to celebrate Lucy and her amazing cotton ball jar. We even brought the jar to the restaurant as a visual aid.

And yes, we ordered the Chocolate Lava.

Next time she fills it, we're going to Chuck E Cheese.