you better work!

Oh, how often do you get to reference RuPaul and his sassy finger-snapping yodel?  I know that one day RuPaul will be a never-read page in the history of life, and for that I am grateful.  Anywho, for those whose attention I haven't obliterated yet....meet our child bride!  Really, this dress came about with a wish - Britton wanted a Rapunzel dress.  But not just any Rapunzel dress.  She wanted the Rapunzel wedding dress.  "And I will marry Daddy!" Oh, the sweet things a child bride says.  

We recently got Britton the Elsa and Anna dresses (Frozen), and she spends every other day in one or the other.  Ok, it's usually Elsa!  But the new dresses weren't even two weeks old when she said she wanted the Rapunzel dress too.  And since I'm not inclined to just give Britton dresses every other week, I said no.  She is old enough to earn it.

"What's earn?"  That was the question I got when tucking her in.  I think I stumbled through the definition, trying not to use "earn" in my description.  I must have said that "earning" is working hard for something, like how we have to go to work to earn a paycheck and you have to be honest to earn trust.  If she wanted that dress, she would have to earn it.  And I added just enough chores to the list to make it hard.  And I required Britton to do the extra chores for two weeks, just to take away the instantaneous satisfaction of getting something immediately after expressing a desire for it.

And Britton earned her dress!  She put away laundry, made her bed, cleared the table, put away toys, and some other chores too.  I specifically came up with chores that were daily chores (other than putting away laundry and sweeping grass after mowing) and were work-specific, as opposed to attitude-centric ("get the mail every day" as opposed to "get out of the bath when asked the first time," for example).  Her regular responsibility chart has some attitude-related responsibilities, and I knew that would suffice.  

Yes, this will be in the wedding slideshow, 25 years from now

The Disney Store conveniently discontinued their Rapunzel wedding dress the day before I went to order it.  Ugh.  But I found one online, and also got the wedding accessory kit, which had another veil (covered in glitter), a bouquet, and an engagement ring.

As Britton gets older and more aware of the world, we think it's important that she sees that hard work is rewarded.  It doesn't always have to be a dress.  Anyone will tell you that a sincere "thank you" is always appreciated too!  But we're perfectly happy to indulge in costumes and dresses, as I know that all too soon Britton will think she's too old for such nonsense.  Especially since she's learning that earning can feel really good!

Barrett didn't know it was a black tie wedding...