I am Giving Myself Gold Stars for Flossing

I don’t know if lecturers nonetheless do that, however once I was little, a gold star sticker subsequent to your identify was an accomplishment to be happy with. It may very well be on a graded take a look at, or extra typically on some form of chart on the entrance of the classroom. You needed to earn that gold star.

However now, as an grownup, no person acknowledges my foolish little accomplishments. I flossed each night time this week? Who cares? Effectively, I care. And I’m giving myself a gold star. 

I’m not kidding. You should purchase these little gold stars from Amazon. These are ½-inch and have a holographic glitter sample. You get 1,200 of them for below 5 bucks. Or deliver again much more recollections with ⅜-inch coloured smiley faces: You get 12,000 of them within the pack, plus just a few gold stars (for these actually particular moments). To seek out extra comparable stickers, seek for “chore chart stickers” or “reward stickers.”

How I take advantage of my treasured gold star stickers

And, sure, I actually do use them to encourage me to floss. After a dentist appointment earlier this 12 months, I made a decision I’d make the leap from an individual who virtually by no means flosses (sorry, ew) to an individual who flosses generally. However I knew I’d want some assist sticking to the plan for the complete six months till my subsequent appointment. I taped a chunk of pocket book paper to the within of my rest room cupboard, and aimed for at the least two gold stars every week. 

Once I went again, my hygienist was not impressed. My enamel had been nonetheless not as clear as they may very well be. (She preferred the gold star concept once I advised her about it although.) Might I be sure that to brush twice and floss each day? You already know what I needed to do: I began a brand new chart. 

Gold stars aren’t only for flossing

Why did I’ve gold stars available within the first place? They got here from a pack much like the smiley-face one I linked above. I purchased these for my younger daughter, who needed a technique to keep in mind whether or not she had fed her pet fish every day. She would put a sticker on every day of her Child Yoda calendar after dropping within the pellets. (Finally she remembered nicely sufficient on her personal that she stopped utilizing the stickers, and I inherited the remaining 11,000+.) 

You’ll discover that I’ve switched again to the coloured stickers for my flossing chart. That’s as a result of I gave my remaining sheet of gold stars to my teenage son, whose physician requested him to be as constant as doable with some habits (ingesting water, consuming breakfast, taking sure dietary supplements) as a primary step in working via a well being situation. He’s filling out his personal gold star chart now, and I’m so proud.