incentive

I recently surprised Ella by giving her $1 when she was particularly helpful. A week later, at dinner, she said, quite tenderly, "You're really getting better at being a mom." My heart sang. I wondered, did she really notice the extra effort I've been putting into play time, keeping my cool, and rewarding good behavior? So I asked her, and she answered, matter-of-factly, "No. You give us money now."