Piggie Points

 This is what I found today: Avery's above, Kenna's below. Think they knew their luck wouldn't hold two days in a row.

So, in an effort to motivate my girls to keep their rooms cleaner I've started "awarding" piggie points. These are NOT redeemable for anything fun: usually the acknowledgement of piggie points comes with an assignment of extra work. And that has worked pretty well....until recently! I don't know what the problem is, but my girls are pigs! Such.....GIRLS! Their floors are littered....and with Kenna, this isn't just a good word. I mean, LITTERED. She dumps out her backpack on the floor. Because she's a smarty pants she usually has some form of sugar contraband, which translates to wrappers. Add that to the excess of pony tails and barrets from her Christmas caboodle....and her recent hobby of drawing...and its disgusting. The boys do get off easy: I know this. Their rooms are 3 levels below me,  sort of 'out of sign of mind'. So, they don't take near the ribbing from me. I'll work on it. But I expect the girls' beds made and rooms tidied every morning before school. As proof my girls are very different, the principle of piggie points wasn't really pulling equal weight with both of them. So, I adjusted my tactics.

Kenna LOVES the idea of having her own room. Avery HATES the idea of having to share, if Kenna has her own. So, last week I told Kenna if she received 3 piggie points in a month, I'd be putting the bunk beds back up and she'd have a roommate again. Might as well confine the hazard to one room don't you think? For Avery, the thought of sharing with Kenna is ticklesome....(is that a word?) Kenna seems bothered to have Avery around sometimes...which Avery thinks is great. She loves to just casually touch her as she walks by...just to watch Ken squirm. So, obviously this piggie point system isn't gonna motivate a change in the right direction for her. So....the only thing a mom can do? Tv. It seems to be the pulse of this little couch potato. If her room is a mess when she leaves for school, no tv. About ten minutes before they leave I ask them how their rooms are. Yesterday I was in for a treat:

Kenna's had her jammies on the floor, and her bed unmade....So, by previous standards, not bad. Avery informed me that she 'just loves little towel chairs." What???? "You know how you can just squish a towel in the corner? It becomes a cute little chair. I love it!" Ding. Ding. Ding. The red flag went off in my head. Okay....see you later then. As I went about my morning I peeked into their rooms. Both obviously failed. This is 3 piggie points for Kenna. And no tv for Avery. Don't know which will prove more tramautizing....

When they got home I said "Kenna, I'm afraid you have earned another piggie point." She looked panic stricken...and bolted upstairs. A minute later she popped her head out with a kind of pleading, please-fall-for-this-face. "Mom, the reason my bed isn't made is because I was giving my American girl a sleepover. Didn't you notice her all tucked in?" Seriously, about died laughing. And...to prove I'm either an inconsistent or well-humored mom(you choose) it worked. I forgave the piggie point and she made her bed.

Avery had the priviledge of showing me her couch chair. I'd already looked, I just thought she should show me. It was about 18 inches high...a little tall for a towel right? Well, apparently 4 pairs of pants, 2 jammies, several underpants and a bathrobe HUGELY add to the optimal comfort of a towel chair. For asthetics though you must cover them entirely so just the towel shows. NO....this isn't what a mom would formally consider 'stuffing'.

Because, as previously stated, I'm either very inconsistent and a pushover...or, I value the creativity of naughty girls...both girls earned piggie points that were negated by some quick thinking! Love 'em!!!