My son’s teachers employ ClassDojo in their teaching with students and engagement with parents. It has captured his imagination. He sometimes shares about the points he has been awarded thus far. It seems that his English teacher will dispense Lego sets once he accumulates 150 points.

Which is all well and fine — except that he somehow expects a reward system to be implemented at his home. Ooohhhh okay. Not particularly fond of the idea of flooding his overly stimulated senses with even more toys, but any parent keen to preserve his sanity and reduce the incessant bombardment of his eardrums will do what I have done — just give points lor!!

Thank goodness I’m crafty. Tonight, over dinner, I seized the opportunity to force him to articulate two sentences in Chinese to his grandfather: 我去游乐场。我玩得兴高采烈。 I refused to award him one point until he stopped trying to be funny and said those sentences in sincerely enunciated Chinese. One point awarded! I might as well use the reward point system to MY BENEFIT.