Going to practice and "I tried something new club"

Here is Brailie ready to go to basketball practice with Daddy.  I think she looks so super cute with a backpack on and she loves how it makes her look like a "big girl"

I wanted to do something that would help encourage the girls to get brave and try new things.  Seems like as they have gotten older and had more of a voice they have gotten less and less willing to do things that mom and dad want.  A few months ago I made up some "tried something new" badges and a chart and everything.  It did not go over well because the badges were laminated and had pokey edges and the girls did not want to have anything to do with them and so it lasted for only one day.  I still liked the idea and so a few weeks ago I made some soft badges out of felt and ribbon and printed a little circle for the middle that says, "I tried something new."  The girls have loved it this time around and have been really good at trying a bite of something new and in some cases eating a bunch of the new thing.  The idea is if they try a bite they get a badge.  Sometimes they even ask what there is new to try so they can have a badge.  Sometimes they don't want to try and I don't force but other times I just say "take one little bite and that is all you have to do" and it works.  In fact we got Allie to eat a green bean which she hasn't wanted to do for over a year.  I have 4 badges made some they usually get two.  It is a bit tough because Allie will try something and earn a badge and Brailie will try the same thing (which she usually eats anyway) and want and badge and rather than have a melt down I just let her.  Overall it is working really well and on top of that we praise the heck out of their willingness to be so "big" and do "big girl things" that it is rubbing off in other areas too.

WARNING: badge wearing may lead to spontaneous dance moves.