the new CEO in town.

There is very little punishment or reward that motivates Andy into action -- or inaction. Time outs, stickers, early bedtimes, no tv, taking toys away, rewards charts -- they are all ineffective to one degree or another. But I've finally found something that gets him up and moving in a very real way: an allowance.

Andy kept asking me to buy him a new toy that was promoted on Disney Jr.  But it's not his birthday or a holiday, so there was really no justification for just buying it. So on a whim I said, how about you earn it. He was intrigued. I explained to him that if he helped me clean up the playroom when I asked, hung his jacket on the door handle instead of throwing it on the floor in front of the door when he got home from school, and went to the bathroom the first time rather than the fourth time I asked him to, he would earn an allowance each week. He's in! He's excited. He's helpful. And if he doesn't listen and I remind him about the allowance, he gets up and gets done what's been asked of him. Is this crazy? What do you think about giving a four year old an allowance. Is it too early?