A few months back we tried to re-implement the family store as a way to reward the kids for doing their daily responsibilities consistently. Adam absolutely loved the idea. He has discovered Lego Mixels and, at $5 a package, they are the perfect prize for a week's worth of chores, piano practice, homework, and acts of service done right. He would come into our room every night and every morning and report to us exactly how many tickets he needed to earn until he could purchase another Mixel, or how many week's worth of tickets he planned on saving up before he could buy three packages at once. Adam responds very well to that kind of motivation, and I've never seen him unload the dishwasher or play "Hot Crossed Buns" quite so happily.
The girls, on the other hand, probably could not have cared less about the whole system. When I asked Leah what kind of reward she would like to be working toward (a toy or a book, perhaps?) she responded, "I just want to go on a date with you, Mommy." The gift of time. And so, a few weeks back, we carved out some time and went on a date, just me and her.
We were both pretty excited.
As much as I dream that these one-on-one dates will be filled with meaningful, heartfelt conversations, so far I've found that they are just goofy and silly and fun. But I want our kids to know that we love them each individually and always have time for them. And an early morning date with this cutie was a reward that I was more than happy to share with her.
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