Incentive, creativity, and kindness

Some of my best ideas seem to come on a whim.


I can make all sorts of plans and schedules and grand ideals, and then in a moment of need or desperation or burst of creativity, inspiration comes.


One day this week there was extra laundry to be put away.  And a good bit of it.


I wanted Dale's help, but didn't want to nag to get it done.


So, before I even thought through my plan, I spouted off, "Dale, for every piece of laundry you put away I'll give you one penny to spend in my store."


Umm... I don't have a 'store'.  


I don't even have a goody basket.


So while Dale started putting away laundry (I told him he was responsible for keeping count), I started finding things for my store.


Instead of gathering up junk to hand out, I started thinking of the things he asks for that I usually say 'no' to, and came up with this list:

After around 20 items of laundry, Dale decided he was done.  Although there was a good bit of laundry left, I paid him his 20 cents and showed him the list.


He looked it over.... thought about it... and decided he needed to put away a little more laundry.  :-)


After putting away every last item, he had earned a total of 52 cents!


I was certain he'd 'buy' time on the microscope, but he chose the Light Bright instead.  But it was the next thing that was my very favorite part (even more than all that put-away laundry!) .....


He came back through later and asked to buy some candy.  I said sure, and he started digging into his pockets.  "It's going to be 10 cents," he said, "because I'm buying a piece for Alan too."


I didn't tell him I would have given Alan a piece anyway.  I just let him enjoy getting to be the big spender buying his brother a treat. :-)