The Chart

I don’t really remember being much of a chart family growing up (mom, correct me if I’m wrong, here), but I’ve decided that the Holland family (or, more specifically, the 3 year old member of the Holland family) needs a chart. For what, you ask? Staying in her bed!!!!! My lord. Let me fill you in on the issue here. I don’t know if all 3 year old’s are like this or if mine just has an overly active imagination and is overly emotional, but wow – she wakes up nearly every single night with a dream and/or nightmare. One of three things happens:

1. She sits up in bed and screams until we come in and calm her down

2. She starts screaming in her room and then walks down the hall screaming and then enters our room screaming until we pick her up and carry her back to her room, praying the entire time that this screaming doesn’t wake her brother who sleeps right next door

3. She doesn’t make a sound and just comes into our bedroom and taps us requiring us to pick her up and put her back into her bed

I don’t get any of the above, but especially #3. SO – anyway, the new rule is, she gets to put a sticker on the chart every morning if she stayed in her bed the night before. And, once she gets 10 stickers, we will take her to Chucky Cheese. But, every time she gets out of her bed, we take a sticker off.

I thought of this chart idea a long time ago, but never did it because I never got to Michael’s to get poster board and markers, etc. to make the chart. Well, finally, last night, I decided that my desire for sleep could not wait for the creative side of me to come out (because, really, I have no idea when or if that will ever happen), so I made a chart. Right then and there – after dinner. And, here it is…





Fancy huh? And, if you will notice, empty.

The sad thing is that she did actually sleep in her bed all night last night, but this morning, when we went to put the sticker on the chart, she wanted to put 2. I said 1. She said 2. I said 1. She said 2. I said none. And, we left for daycare. Sticker-less.