Incentive Program

We are starting one with Kooy. I am totally ashamed to admit this...only because it's socially taboo. Although, some people think it's the only way to go. And I have already mentioned it on this blog before, so it's not a complete confession. Anyway, we are living the Family Bed scenario at our house. I know it's not the best thing...and we never really planned it...we made some mistakes and were too lazy to stop it when it first began. Like I've said before. The first one is for practice. We'll do better with number two. The fact that there is a number two on it's way, indicates that it's not a HUGE problem. And without going into too many details at all...Kooy was sleeping in his room while baby number two came about. Okay...gross. Sorry I had to say it. I didn't want anybody thinking or wondering. Anyway, this is not the direction this post was supposed to take. How did I get to off track?

So, I made a chart...I think it's really cute. When he sleeps in his bed all night five times, he gets a reward. This first week we are going big...Chuck E. Cheese. I figure the first reward needs to be a semi-big one to catch his attention and get him to do it. After that, every five times will be something like go to a movie, go to a football game with dad, buy a movie, or new toy, etc. (Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated) Then when he fills up the chart there is a BIG HUGE prize he gets. He is so excited. He really wants his big prize. We made the deal with him before doing our homework though. Now I am a little nervous. Let me explain.

With the new baby coming we have decided to decorate the "other" bedroom for Kooy instead of the new baby. This way Kooy gets to help choose what he wants in his room and the baby room stays the same. Which is helpful because we decorated based on the bedding set I bought for Kooy, which I of course will use for the new baby. Anyway...we've asked how he wants to decorate his room and he chose race cars. Maybe you can see where this is heading. When Kooy sleeps in his bed all night and fills up the WHOLE chart with stickers...he gets a race car bed!

He's all excited...I'm all excited...Dad's all excited. Then we decide to look them up online and we find out that the TWIN bed model...which is what we think is most practical in terms of how long he will use it...is $300!! That's from WalMart and then you have to pay shipping which is another $100! Whoa. We looked on KSL.com and found one for sale for $300. We wouldn't have to pay any shipping so that looks like a great deal from that angle. The ones on ebay, nobody wants to ship it so they are all local pick up only. There is one in New Jersey and one in Iowa or something like that. Those are probably a little farther then we want to drive.

We talked it over and decided we are going to stick to our deal. It's really expensive and will take careful planning and saving but we figure if Kooy can make the commitment to sleep in his bed and earn it, then we can commit to saving the money to buy one. His birthday is in November so we'll ask the grandparents to give us money for his new bed. I hope they will be willing to oblige. We'll ask Matt's family to give us money too. I was thinking of giving him a birthday party this year anyway...so don't anybody worry he won't get any new toys for his birthday. I think he'll get plenty. Hopefully with birthday money and money we'll save we can get one. We'll keep looking at the classifieds, hopefully one will come up that is less money. On that note....

...I want to hire every single one of you reading this blog. If you know anybody, or if you hear about someone, or if you see one at a garage sale, if you see a used one that we could buy for cheaper...PLEASE let me know. It has to be the twin size model though. I will buy you lunch and give you a big huge hug and kiss!! I know that's not much incentive but really you should just be a nice Christ-like person in the first place and not need a reward to motivate you.

Are we in way over our heads here? Do you think we should revise the deal before it really starts? I want to be a fun parent and buy my kids fun things IF THEY EARN IT, but is it too extravagant? I realize $300 for a bed may not seem like an extravagance to some of you...but for us it would be. As much as I want to stick to the deal a little voice in my head...which sounds remarkably like my mothers...tells me it might be too much. What do you think?