November 30, 2009

Real Life Confessions: I Really, Really Bribed My Kids

in confessions,family,holidays/birthdays,motherhood

Oh sure, I’ve admitted to bribing my kids before, like when I shared that I will pay them a dime every time they try a new food (or a food that they already know they don’t care for). And, darn it — I stand by that bribery. It hardly costs me anything and I can’t believe the things they have tried for a mere ten cents.

But, I am a bit ashamed to admit that I really bribed them at Thanksgiving. I’m not talking dimes either. I’m talking serious cash.

My kids don’t like animals. Their feelings on animals range from mild distaste to overwhelming fear. Actually, I have misspoken. They actually all like animals. They all like to read about animals, watch shows about animals, and they love to see animals at places like a zoo. They just don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to own a pet. And, furthermore, they have zero desire to be at the home of anyone who would do something as crazy as owning a pet.

We have been blessed by many understanding family and friends. I can’t tell you how many times the dear people in our lives have put away animals or even had them go to friend’s houses while we are there.

But, back to the bribery.

We went out of state for Thanksgiving to be with family. We were meeting at my grandparents house, which is always an experience, since they have a very active Yorkshire Terrier named Rambo. This means that the day is spent with quite a lot of consoling fears, as well as Eric keeping the kids downstairs while the dog is upstairs and my Grandpa keeping the dog downstairs while they kids are upstairs. Oh, and then there is the horribly uncomfortable keeping the dog in a separate room during the meal. He barks, everyone feels bad, and my kids get nervous. Oh the holiday fun.

So, as we were at the hotel the night before Thanksgiving, I threw down the challenge. I hadn’t preplanned it. It all just popped out of my mouth as I talked. We talked a lot about the dog and what they could expect when they saw the dog. Then, I told them that if they didn’t cry, didn’t cause a scene, didn’t make it necessary for the dog to be somewhere else, I would pay them.

Each child had the possibility of earning up to $30. No, you didn’t read that wrong — that’s a three and a zero, which would total $90 if everyone got it. I wanted it to be an amount that would really get their attention. And, trust me — it was. I told them that if they freaked out when they walked in, but then calmed down after the initial confrontation, I would give them $10 (instead of the $30). I was sure that I would not be paying it all out, but thought I might be paying out the $10 each.

When we got to my grandparents, we reminded the kids what the dog would do (lots of jumping and kissing) and then brought the kids in one at a time. There was definitely nervousness, but not a single tear. As a matter of fact, there were even some giggles.

After some initial shyness, both Jack and Molly wouldn’t stop playing with Rambo all day. Actually, first Molly thought his name was Scramble, and then she started calling him Scrambo. All they talked about that day (and for the days afterwards) was “Scrambo.” Molly even drew pictures of him and her together to send to Great-Grandma and Great-Papa. Noah never did play with Rambo, but he did sit and pet him for quite a while.

When we got home, I stopped by the ATM and got out money. I then paid each of my kids $30. Whew!

You know what though? It was a beautiful day. They had a wonderful time. All of my family members seemed more at ease when my kids weren’t causing a scene. My Grandpa didn’t have to hide out in the basement with the dog. Eric and I were both so happy that it went smoothly. We all stayed much longer than we expected we would.

So, yeah, I bribed my kids. But, you know what? That was just about the best $90 I have ever spent.