Big.Boy.Boot.Caaaaamp!

It started today. We don't have the prizes yet and we don't have the poster yet, but we started it anyway.

The game is this:

Alex has to accomplish four sets of Big Boy skills; daytime potty training; better sleep training, including napping and sleeping in his Big Boy Bed; sleeping without a pre-nap/bedtime bottle; and various self care skills such as dressing himself or picking up his toys.

These skill sets are represented on a chart. For each week, Alex will have a daily tracker in his room. For an eight week period, the week's average will be tracked on a giant poster.

Effort to get the skills right gets rewarded with a smiley face sticker. A collection of stickers for consistent effort wins a small prize.

A half-way point on the skill wins an edible treat. For example, peeing in the potty will win Gummi Bears or Graham Crackers, etc.

A full skill performed wins a prize. Sleeping on the Big Boy Bed. Sleeping without a bottle. Napping during the day. Keeping his underwear dry all day. Dressing himself to the best of his ability. Picking up his toys. Etc. Each of these wins a star sticker on his charts.

At the end of a 4 week period, Alex will be awarded a trophy for each skill set in which he's earned many stars in a row. The trophy will be labeled for which skill it is and he earns a Big Prize.

For August, the prize choices are Spencer, Hiro, Victor and Kevin (all Thomas wooden railway series trains).

For September, the prize choices are a ride on the Pioneer at the South Street Seaport, a ride on the W.O. Decker at the Seaport, a big fire engine from Playland or a tricycle. The idea is that he will keep getting rewarded for efforts and the skills until he performs so consistently that it is a way of life for him. At that point, he gets the really big prizes.

We'd had no luck gaining these skills on their own, working on one at a time. We had originally thought that throwing them all at him at once would overwhelm him. It seems now that by giving Alex a choice as to what skills he'd like to work on during any given day, he really responds well.

Mommy had to run out and buy some extra prizes to make sure we had some on hand, since the collection of small prizes weren't here yet. JUST in case he naps or something.

So far, he's earning effort smileys galore - except in potty training. Oh well. It's only Day One.

Wish him luck!

Sunday, August 1