Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I'm Broke

My sister-in-law suggested to our little man that if he would stay in his big boy bed, then maybe the sleep fairy would leave him a treasure under his pillow. I know there's a sleep fairy story book, I think she even has it. We haven't read it. But the little man was intrigued.

I had this dilemma. Obviously candy is not a great wake-up-in-the-morning treasure, though he'd be fine with it. I didn't want to add to our stock of plastic crap, so no more little toys either.

I'll (the sleep fairy, I mean) leave quarters! I thought to myself. One under his pillow in the morning.

Well, our B was pretty ticked when she saw he's getting paid. She's been staying in her bed independently and going to sleep in 10 minutes or less for years. So now there's a quarter for her each morning too.

People! This adds up! I can't keep using the same quarters each morning (which I've done several times) because eventually B will figure out that her stash is not growing.

I feel like I need money for laundry again. I guess it's off to the bank with me for some rolls of quarters.

The up side? Little man is figuring out how to go to sleep on his own. For only $1.75 a week.

Rock on Sleep Fairy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9 comments:

Girlplustwo said...

can you now convince him that the sleep fairy turns the quarters into nickels?

Michelle said...

Or even pennies! A new color! LOL Good luck with breaking off that habit :)

Anonymous said...

I always favoured the "stay in your bed or mommy is going to run away and join the circus and never come back." I save my quarters for the child therapist.

Mimi in the Midwest said...

Stickers and a chart. That could be cheaper. I think I read once that you have to change your reward every 3 weeks or it loses it's effectiveness. So you'll just HAVE to change the reward. Maybe you could leave a kibble of cereal. Which would get his brain on breakfast...........or are you a hot breakfast family, in which case, too-o-o messy. Also maybe a spray of cologne that means the fairy was there...too busy for dropping off stuff. And as you've mentioned fall is coming and it's too cold for fairies in their little tiny clothes. The first frost you see may be the sign of "No more fairies." That's all this ADD grandma has.

Melanie D. said...

Ah HA HA HAHA HAHAHA Subspace, that made me laugh!
Mama - sticket chart. Yes, we've been through more than I can say with our B, who had them to get herself out of bed last year, ironically. We tried one with her for potty when she was little man's age and she didn't get it. I'm not sure if he would yet or not?
He sure likes those shiney coins! Though I'm not sure he'd care what denomination was under there, sleep fairy might have to try nickels.

Beck said...

My kids never found stickers all that rewarding, although they'd probably leap through fiery hoops for a quarter every morning.

Anonymous said...

I used the Sleep Fairy book -- it works. We went to Nobbies and purchased multi packs of stick on earrings, temp tattoos, stickers, and other things not swallowable. I also purchased a star shaped post-it note pad from office depot and wrote things like "You stayed in bed all night! You get a piggy back ride to breakfast. Love, The Sleep Fairy" My daughter's favorite prize? The notes. I had to read them of course, but she loved seeing the star notes. The book saved me (and quite possibly her)! The author Janie Peterson has a fantastic parent coaching thing at her Behave'n Day Center. I've used it for both of my kids.

LoriAnn said...

Ha! I am so glad other people have these weird troubles, too! When K lost his first tooth we had NO money in the house...I had to go to Walgreens, buy something, get cash back AND ask the cashier to give me ones so I could put money under his pillow...all of this at like 10:00 pm!

Aliki2006 said...

Hmmm...I never thought of this--maybe it will work to get T. to stay in her room?!

But how do you put the quarter there? Knowing my T. she would wake up at 2:00, look under her pillow, find the quarter, take it, and then come to our room anyway.