This school year I started implementing a reward system for Emery when it comes to her grades. The first six weeks she made the A-Honor Roll so she chose the option that involved a sleepover with two friends followed by breakfast at a place of her choosing. There’s never really any pressure because, for the most part, I let her know that I just want her to try her best. That’s what’s important to me. However, our little system has given her a bit of an incentive to ask for help when she’s struggling with a certain subject or problem. Because she really wants to earn that prize at the end. So, at the beginning of each six weeks, she and I come up with two new reward options which give her a goal to work towards. At the end of the six weeks, when I get her report card, there are two rewards she can pick from to “cash-in” based on those grades.
For the second six weeks, she made the A-B Honor Roll. She came really close to all A’s with one 89. So, her choices were to either go see a movie or go hiking with two friends. And well, my daughter loves the outdoors. So, we headed out to a local state park. Thankfully, we had some pretty amazing weather. The girls had a blast hiking some familiar trails and crossing the river barefoot. Multiple times. They spent the afternoon talking about the fish, and what it must have been like for people years ago that lived in those areas. They laughed and talked about school. What subjects they liked, and what they didn't. As they sat on a rock Emery said, "You know, we all have friends at our schools. But I hope we stay each other's best friends forever." There were a few instances when they all walked ahead and asked Emery how she was feeling about her dad. And of course, she looked back in hesitation but I nodded letting her know it was okay to tell them. They spoke about it briefly before heading over to more rocks. Hugs all around. And just seeing that made me happy. It's nice to know that these girls all care about each other. That Emery has two friends that listen to her when she's sad or happy. That they get to come along on our adventures and share stories. But most importantly, I'm grateful that Emery has all of this. That she has an abundance of family and friends who love her.
As we left for the day I thought that this should happen more often for her. I want her to continue to enjoy exploring the outdoors. I want to give her and her friends the opportunity to go outside, share secrets, and spend time with one another. As often as possible. So, it looks like this may turn into a tradition. Grades or not, I want to give her as many more of these moments as I can.
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