Darth Vader Chart

In an effort to motivate Gabe, who is 3 1/2, we tried something new. His recent obsession with Star Wars gave me idea. Per the chart above, if Gabe could choose not to argue and to clean up his room when asked (those two usually went hand-in-hand) for 5 days then he could get a Darth Vader action figure.

To my surprise, it worked! Every time I'd catch a whiff of arguing, I'd just say, "Hey... remember Darth Vader." He was snap to attention and zip his mouth immediately! It was fantastic! I'm not saying we'll continue programs like this on a steady basis, but there was great reward for him in working to earn it. He was even more proud of it and considered it a more valued item. Lots of good lessons.

Here he is finally getting it - so happy! But then asks for someone else... funny!

P.S. - the rest of the story is that this Darth Vader was some sort of collectors item and all of the pieces came apart - very realistic. His helment, head covering, cape, light saber... it all detached. This was my choking nightmare for Maggie, who puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. Always has. So, we returned it and ordered one on amazon.com that was age appropriate with no removable parts. =)