Maybe God wishes to teach me a thousand new things, move me from being in a thousand different directions to just ONE, and show me a thousand reasons to BLESS his name. Maybe that is why He moved me 1,000 miles away.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

A well thought bribe is a mother's most cherished tool in her belt.

If you want your kids to clean up their stuff, fill up a baby jar with dimes. At the end of the day, what they didn't pick up or take care of gets a "caretakers fee" removed from the jar.
At the end of the week, the person with enough dimes for a Rita's Italian Ice will have their treat.

If you want your kids to take their fish oil without daily complaint, bribe them with a Jello Pudding Cup.

Kids will clean any mess for a slushie. Slushies are liquid gold.

If you are getting tired of the constant little nit picking kids can do at each other, how about offering a bribe of gum for the sweetest kid in the car?

Sometimes the kids have to dip their hand into the extra chore jar. Sometimes they get to grab out a bonus from the Amazing Kid jar. I like my charts, jars, prizes and bribes.

Some people may say this is lazy parenting. Some say (I've read their book) that kids should do what they are told without bribes or rewards. I say, who doesn't like a little reward, or a little bribe from time to time?

A well thought, and well placed bribe can eliminate the potential war, a day of crummy attitudes, or a mothering melt down.

And that, my friends, is my 12:30am parenting tip for the day. Good night ~

3 comments:

deb said...

Good ideas, but I can say with almost 100% certainty that no amount of pudding could convince my kids to eat fish oil. Maybe a $10 bill would. Or at least a D.Q. Blizzard.

Kerri said...

yeah, I know I'll have to keep upping the bribe on that one. audrey loves fish oil though. go figure.
I'd do anything to eat one of those puddings in the frige right now, however.

Anonymous said...

Try strawberry flavored fish oil. Available from Nordic Naturals online.