Copycat

So, kids really do follow what you do. Jackie repeats almost every thing I say and wants to do just about everything I'm doing. Most times this is pretty funny, except when I'm in a hurry wanting to get something done and she's wanting to do it with me. Like yesterday. What should have taken me about an hour to finish washing clothes turned into an all day washing project. Not completely her fault as in the middle we were interrupted by the landlord. Anyway, that is totally another story.
Anyway, Jackie is very girly and loves carrying around her purse and of course it must be full of money. So, when she takes her medicine without crying or does something without me asking her to around the house, I usually give her 100 shillings (sometime 200 shillings). Not much if you put that in American currency but it works for here.
She's earned quite a bit this way. Frequently, she will sweep under the table or in the kitchen. Yesterday, she even swept outside on the stairs and then told the landlord she had done her work now she needed to be paid. That was good for some laughs! He did give her some shillings though.
What does she do with all this money that she is earning? Mostly she spends it on food. She begs Mary to take her (usually several times a day) to buy cassava, samosas, popcorn, or mandazi.
Yesterday, we were all rushing to get ready to go out in the evening and Jackie didn't want to bathe. I knew that at night it was going to be next to impossible to bathe her (in cold water when she's tired) so I convinced her to go and bathe by adding another 100 shillings.
I was the last to bathe and upon finishing I was told that since I didn't cry when I went to bathe she was giving me 100 shillings! Of course, this morning she asked for it back when she wanted to buy her mandazi. But, at least she bought one for me too!
So, it is really true: Children follow what you do and not what you say.