E is a killer negotiator, and has been since he was very young. I used to ask him if he wanted a raisin, and he would answer 8 9 10. We'd usually end up at about 4 after a few back and forths. A few weeks ago, I came in to tell him he needs to go to sleep. He was ready with his demands: "Go see goats, go see tractors, and watch Bamba video". At that point in the night, I would have let him climb an elephant, so of course I said yes. He immediately fell asleep, and didn't wake up til the morning, which he began by reminding me of his demands that he had earned.
Tonight, however, it was a different kind of negotiation. He made a stinky on the toilet last week for the first time, and was given a chocolate chip. Needless to say, he is trying to repeat the success, and earn another chocolate chip. Today he sat for 15 minutes, pushing and bending, and massaging his muscles, while reading the Elmo Potty book. After 15 minutes, I told him it was time to go into the bath. He looked at me straight in the eye, and without flinching said: "Chocolate chip". I asked, did you poop? He got up, looked down, looked back at me, sat down on the empty potty, and said "Chocolate chip. E sit down potty try poop. E want chocolate chip."
He did not get the chocolate chip, but it raised a question for me about rewarding effort, not just the success.
P.S. Bubby says give 1 for effort, and 2 for success.
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