Add in Treats

Do you know Alfie Kohn?  Punished by Rewards?   I’m not a fan.  While I do agree that carrots are often just a friendlier version of a stick, I think rewards or treats have their place in creating a life marked by ease and grace.  It’s usually not helpful to reward myself for a good homeschooling day by having another beer.  But it’s altogether life-giving to have a treat–something that I really like at just the right time.  It’s a way of honoring what I notice, enjoying what I love, making a tiny bit of space for me in the daily round.

Here’s my list.  I hope to keep adding to it!

• Practice hand lettering.
• Do a bit of embroidery.
• Or gluebooking!
• Walk outside
• Diffuse essential oils.  Blood orange or Lavender and Peppermint.
• A fresh bar of oatmeal soap.
• Organize the Playmobil.  All the swords in the sword spot!
• Sharpen pencils.
• Read before bed.  These moments especially seem stolen.
• Read a poem.  Rich language and images you can tuck in your pocket.
• Draw.
• Watch Alma Stoller videos.
• Remember the Sabbath.
• Read blogs…and click through to comment!
• Listen to Pray-As-You-Go.
• Make a homemade pumpkin spice latte
• Put clean sheets on the bed.
• Freshen the learning spaces.
• Clear the decks.

Even though some of these things are downright chore-ish, I like them.  Or I like having done them.  I like making the space come alive with the possible.

The trick with treats is the actually enjoy them, to stop and savor.  To remember what went right and celebrate it.  I challenge you to make your own.  It’s pretty hard actually!  But I’d love to see what you come up with!