Special Time with "Junie B."

For several months we've been choosing a winner each day who had the best behavior, got all their work done for the day, and went above and beyond in some way. Until Daniel's schedule changed at work, this worked out very well, because he was on day shift. "Junie B." won a good majority of the time because she is very responsible and a hard worker. She is often the first to volunteer to help with things, too.

This particular night we made cookies. Sometimes we've played board games or cards. Once "Junie B.", Danya, and I all walked to 7-11 to buy snacks in the dark. Special time is about getting to do something special with a parent and rewarding the child for their hard work and good attitude. All the kids love to win. The few times Shane has won we've tried to make it a really big deal, since he has such a hard time making it through a whole day without doing something he shouldn't. Danya has struggled sometimes when she doesn't win, because she is one of those kids who needs to be the "good kid" all the time. Kevin likes the concept, but thumbs his nose at the actual requirements. That's just Kevin.