Mama's brain is expensive

I stole this from a friend.  This is not my creation.

One of the things that Ladybug does is not listen.  It drives me insane.  I repeat...and repeat... and repeat.  Like this morning.

Ladybug: Can I wear my new boots today?
Mama: Yes, they are on my desk.
Ladybug: I know but they are still tied together.

A few minutes later...

Ladybug: Mama, where are my boots?

And that is when I instituted the "Mama's brain is expensive" rule.

Here is how it works:
I will tell her something once.  If she doesn't remember it, doesn't listen, doesn't pay attention, doesn't  whatever and she has to use my brain to figure things out, then she owes me.  In chores.  So if she has to ask a second time I then give her a choice.  Does she use her brain to figure it out?  Or does she want to use my brain?  If she opts to use my brain, I then tell her what her payment is going to be.  Then I ask her again if she wants to use my brain or her brain.  Is the easy way out worth the cost?

So after explaining the rules to her this morning, I asked her again if she wanted to use my brain.  She said no.  She walked to my desk to get her boots.  Score 1 for Mama.

Then at school today she could not get herself under control.  Singing.  Humming.  Dancing.  Long trips to the bathroom.  So bad that I received several emails from her teacher.  So I tried to use the new rule again this evening.

We were planning on going to a school fundraiser at McDonald's but her behavior at school will prevent that.  But I give her a choice.  We can go home, do homework, no TV, have dinner, and prepare for bed and she would owe me nothing.  Or she can use my brain to come up with a way so that she can still go to the fundraiser.  What would she like to do?  She opted to go to the fundraiser.

So we went to McDonald's for dinner.  We came home and did homework.  No TV.  She needs to fold and put away all of her clothes -- and it has been weeks since I have folded and put away clean clothes.  It is piled on the kitchen table.  I let her know that since she picked this option she can not complain.  She can not growl or groan.  She folds hers.  I fold mine.  We carry our own upstairs.  We put our own away.  And then it is time for bed.

My house might start getting all the chores done with this new rule.

Mean Mama