"If you chance to meet a frown..."

Julia and I used to have four fights every morning. Most days it was almost impossible for us to get her diaper changed, clothes on, teeth brushed, and hair done without a few eruptions. I needed some serious assistance. And since Jonny can't be here every morning (for whom she will do almost anything), I came up with a simplified job chart.She has four cards, one for each of the above-mentioned tasks. As an afterthought, I added a smiley face to the back of each card before laminating them. Little did I know how rewarding four smiley faces in a row can be for a 2 year old! And because magnets are fun, the cards live on a small colorful magnet board I happened to have already.

Here's the system: She gets to choose the order we accomplish the tasks. (Yes, sometimes getting dressed comes before the diaper change. Whatever works!) Upon finishing each one, she turns the card over to reveal the ever-exciting smiley faces. When she gets all four it's high-fives and hugs all around. I had thought she may need a sticker or some other small reward, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Oh man, our mornings are going so much smoother. Those four smiley faces are the not the only happy ones around here these days.

P.S. Julia wanted to show off her toe-gripping skills on film. "Me so way awe-sin girl," as she would say. And I'm not sure why she's making that expression in the picture at the very top. Many of her silly faces and phrases can hardly be explained these days.

P.P.S. I don't profess to be any great disciplinarian. Actually, quite the contrary. I am new to this stuff and would love any other fun ideas to help this little girl learn to be the most pleasant little girl possible.

P.P.P.S. I knew it was a mistake as soon as I colored the shirt pink and the pants blue on her "getting dressed" card. Some days, luckily not all - but some, she insists on wearing clothes to match the card. Oh brother.