>> THE MIRACLE OF STICKERS AS AN

INCENTIVE

When our oldest daughter was 3, my wife and I had tried everything to get her potty trained. Finally, out of pure frustration, I thought of an idea that might work. I took a picture of her sitting on her little potty chair, and then I pasted the photo on a colored piece of paper. I taped the paper next to the potty chair and showed her a container full of colorful stickers. I told her that she could put one sticker on the paper each time she used the potty successfully. In four days she was potty trained.

I thought that if I could come up with a clever idea, so could every parent. I began collecting parenting tips, which became the genesis for my first book, “Kid Tips.” Now, 16 years later, I have a larger database of parenting tips than anyone in the world, thanks in part to the readers of this column.

Toddlers and preschoolers love stickers. Try using stickers as an incentive for tasks or routines that your child dislikes: bedtime, washing hair, completing chores, etc. They can also be used for rewarding positive behaviors by creating a behavior chart. Like the first contributor below, you will be amazed at the power of a few inexpensive stickers. Let me know of your successes.

INCENTIVE FOR BIG-BOY BED When my older son was 2 years and 3 months old, we began to transition him from the crib to the big-boy bed. He was very excited about having a new bed, but when it came down to sleeping in it, he was scared. So, I bought some fancy stickers and made a chart with blank spaces for the stickers. I told him that he could sleep in the crib if he wanted, but every time he slept in the big-boy bed, I would give him a sticker in the morning. When he had filled the chart with stickers (about a week), we would go to the zoo. I was amazed at what he would do for a sticker, and by the end of the week he was used to the bed. -- Deb Britt, Warwick, R.I.