Mother of the Bribe

Who says we shouldn't bribe our kids? I think the problem with the bribe is in the word itself. I like to consider it more of a motivation or incentive, if you will. A way of tricking your little ones into doing what you want because they are still too young to hold their own in a debate of the issue.

Just yesterday I told Leila that if she took a nap I would give her a cupcake when she woke up. I just heard a few of you gasp, but honestly, what's the big deal about a cupcake? It saved me an argument with a toddler (which, when looked at from the outside seems pretty silly) and it gave my daughter a reason to stay in bed. Well, a better reason than "because I said so," I should say. She's still too young to understand that if she doesn't take a nap she gets tired and cranky as the day progresses and by bedtime she is overtired and it's like WWIII to get her to go to sleep. All she cares about is missing the Dora episode on TV and collecting rocks in the yard. I need to speak her language, and that language is Cupcakes.

The incentive is not always food, however, so you healthy eating advocates can relax. Today, in fact, it happens to be a trip to the library. The other day it was a game of Memory. Whatever it is, it's something that I know she will look forward to and do whatever I say so to get it. It's not like this will go on forever. My teenagers will not be getting brand new shoes for brushing their teeth and the latest iPod for washing the dishes, but for now, it works. The kids are small, the rewards are small and the payoff is huge. Works for me.