My toddler has discovered stickers. Stickers aren’t new to Jessie, but she’s finally discovered the joy and pleasure that stickers bring. People have been giving Jessie stickers as long as I can remember, but Jessie didn’t care. Jessie would even give them back or just tell the giver no. Now she’ll ask for a sticker. She’ll ask for sticker from people she’s never gotten a sticker from before. She’ll ask for a sticker from people who have no logical reason to give Jessie a sticker. Jessie is all about the sticker now.
I don’t know when the change started. The girls’ pediatrician has a basket of stickers and another of Dum Dums for the children to pick up at check-out. Jessie gets one of each on the way in and out. I think it clicked at Gymboree when the children got stickers after class instead of Gymbo stamps on their hands, feet, and tummies. I am grateful that I have stickers in my letter notebook for when she demanded stickers from me.
A couple days ago, Jessie got a boo-boo. Jessie’s never left a bandage on an owie before. This time we asked her if she’d like a sticker and were able to successfully put a Dora the Explorer Band-Aid on the hurt spot. Good thinking on Daddy’s part.
I was hoping that stickers would work as currency with potty training, but Jessie doesn’t want to sit on the potty even for a sticker. Guess I’ll just give her the stickers I bought for her. I know they’ll make her happy.
I understand the sticker love. I had many photo albums filled with stickers when I was a grade-school girl. My best friend and I would look at each other’s albums and trade stickers back and forth. The puffy stickers were the good ones.