Last night, I flossed for the 30th night in a row. :)
Habit established.
As I drove home, thinking about how I was about to floss for the 30th time and thereby meet my goal, I suddenly pictured a little calendar covered with stickers. My childhood. Oh yes, lists, and stickers and check-offs! That is what you get when you are raised by one extremely organized (definitely OCD) parent and one early-childhood education professional.
And I wondered, is that why we are this way?
Kim, Kristin and I are all addicted to to-do lists. Kim prefers to type and color-code hers, Kristin and I are both big fans of the handwritten (always with a box next to it to check - I love making the little boxes!). There are worse things we could be addicted to. And at least we are all very disciplined and productive driven individuals, but perhaps too much?? I'm not sure. It's just interesting to me how parents' good work in establishing good habits in their children can actually turn into extreme OCD behaviors.
So, I'm curious- you fellow TDLAA's (To-Do List Addicted Annonymous)- did your parents raise you with little charts and sticker's- some form of a reward system based off of how good you were at your daily and weekly tasks?
6 comments:
Lol. I just had someone ask me to teach him how to make the to-do lists cause he thinks it will help him be more productive in school.
My dad would make little excel speadsheets for us kids when we were younger (and still does). For my school to do list I love to have the little check box on the side, becase I love getting to check off a task when I am done. If i check it off I feel like I have accomplished something big. :) I love to-do list because they help me stay organized. When I was younger, Melissa would also give me little to do list to help me manage my time better, and I think I am a almost a pro now!
I was not raised in such a manner at all. I think that is why I like them so much.
Each weekly chore list was a different color for each month of the year. Then based on how many boxes were checked with those little stickers, would determine our reward of yet bigger & better stickers that would be then placed in a sticker book. But yet he was still so OCD that we were not allowed to place the hard earned stickers within the books ourselves, but must let him place them there. AND THEN he would then lock our books up safe & sound within the confines of his office. Oh dad. Yes, the parentals can take full responsbility for our check list addiction.
I use them for packing, cleaning, books I've read (excel sheets and online), work tasks, house renovations, groceries, workouts, library requests....and it goes on and on :-)
And yes someday, I hope to create my own color coordinated checklists to hang on my little ones door - though they will have free reign with their rewards!
I still have stickers if you feel you might need to motivated in anything!?!?!?
And I still have the sticker books. Positive reinforcement 101
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