The Toothbrushing Game

As our planet is experiencing the great awakening... The powerful summer solstice in conjunction with the new moon and some extraordinary placement of Jupiter that hasn't occurred in thousands of years aligning us all with great abundance... As the schumman resonance begins to shift and a new planet is being born... I'm busy playing toothbrush games with my 7 year old step daughter! Lol

It all started when my step daughter moved in with me around one year ago... She knew that she had to listen to everything her father told her to do... but when it came to me giving her orders she just wasn't having it! Getting her to shower and brush her teeth was the absolute worst! Her father had decided that his daughter (my step daughter) must brush her teeth every morning, however he allowed her to choose whether or not she brushed her teeth at night. This was a very flawed decision in my opinion because almost every night my step daughter decided that she was too tired to brush her teeth. Every so often I would get her to brush her teeth by promising to read her a book. But this plan didn't work out so well. Unfortunately there wasn't always time for me to read her a book. I felt that it was necessary for me to find a solution to this problem. And not just the problem of my step daughter not brushing her teeth, but the problem of her thinking she doesn't have to do anything I tell her to do because in the end her dad makes all the decisions... And another problem I was dealing with was that my step daughter had developed a bad habit of being rude and insulting towards me. I felt that our whole relationship needed a revamp. And that's when the toothbrush game was invented!

As I as driving my step daughter to school one morning we passed the 99 cent store. My step daughter immediately asked me if we could go to the 99 cent store. She promised that she would be good if I took her there. That's when the brilliant idea was born! I told her that if she brushed her teeth every night Monday through Thursday, then on Friday I would take her to the 99 cent store to go shopping. She was all for it! And amazingly, she brushed her teeth all 4 nights in a row. But she also did some things I didn't like that week. She told me to shut up twice and called me stupid once. I was considering cancelling the 99 cent store trip altogether but I didn't want my step daughter to lose faith in me. I gave her a pep talk about her bad behavior and told her that I had considered cancelling the whole trip. This definitely alarmed her. I knew at this point that the rules to the game had to change slightly, but only after our trip to the 99 cent store that week. So on Friday I told my step daughter that she had $5 to spend at the 99 cent store. Her dad decided to chip in an extra $3 so in the end she had $8 total to spend. My step daughter had a spectacular time at the 99 cent store attempting to figure out what she could buy with $8. She ended up spending around $7.23 so I gave her an extra dollar to keep. She was ecstatic!

On the ride home from the 99 cent store I read my step daughter the new and updated rules of the toothbrushing game. Ofcourse she was too busy fiddling with her purchases to really hear anything I said... But the new rules were the following... My step daughter would receive $1 towards her weekly shopping spree for every night she brushes her teeth (with toothpaste). She would have to brush her teeth at least 4 nights a week or else she forfeits all the money she earns and therefore she would not get to go on her little shopping spree. The shopping spree could be at the 99 cent store, target, whole foods, amazon or any other place that is convenient that we both agree on.

$1 will be removed from earnings per day for bad behavior, negative rude comments (shut up, your stupid), or any lies told. If this happens 3x in 1 week than all dollars for that week get forfeited. Money can be rolled over to the next week if it is being saved for something in particular. So in the case of misbehavior, the previous week's earnings will not be forfeited if there is any previous week's earnings. If a lie is told and a $1 is removed from earnings, it is possible to gain 50 cents back if the truth is admitted before it is found out to be a real lie. One piece of candy shall be distributed the very next day for each evening of toothbrushing. If my step daughter tries to go around me to get candy from her dad then a piece of candy is forfeited. If my step daughter is saving up for something in particular, but then she decides to try to go around me to get her dad to buy that same item for her, then the money that was being saved for that item gets forfeited even if her dad doesn't buy her the item.

My step daughter earns an additional 50 cents for any evening that she brushes her teeth without being reminded or told to do so. 50 cents extra is earned for initiative! The total amount of dollars that can be earned in one week therefore is $10.50 and $42 a month. The rules to this game can be amended at any time during the game after earned dollars are redeemed for that week, or when the item that's being saved for get purchased. Regarding dollars that get removed for bad behavior, negative comments and lies, 50 cents may be earned back for apologies and other good deeds subject to my approval. However, if negative comments, bad behavior or lies happens 3x in 1 week, even with apologies and good deeds, the $1.50 extra will be forfeited. She can keep the money earned but the shopping spree will be cancelled for that week.

I actually wrote out a few more rules, but you get the general idea.... So after reading the entire list of rules to my step daughter she decided not to brush her teeth that Friday night. I felt discouraged. Where did I go wrong? Did I write up too many rules for a 7 year old? Was it all so complicated? So the next day my step daughter asks me if there's any opportunity for her to earn more money for her evening tooth brushings. I reminded her that she earns $1 for every evening that she brushes her teeth, and that she just missed out on Friday night's dollar! All of a sudden she had that look on her face... Eureka! All of sudden she realized that if she wanted more money she had to brush her teeth more! And ever since that moment, she has brushed her teeth every night before going to bed! Her dad didn't believe the game would work... but you know what? I think I'm really starting to understand this kid! She accidentally told me to shut my mouth earlier this week and then quickly corrected her error! Wow! The game is working! Awesome! I think a few bucks a week and a trip to a store is a small price to pay to help my step daughter to develop good dental hygiene practices and good manners! I'm curious to see how this game evolves in time!

Jennie H is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!