Whatever Works

Cleaning the kids rooms is usually a chore for me as well as them because they tend to drag it out forever. This morning as the dispirited "Awwwww"s died away after I announced it was time again, we decided to try something different.

We have a bag of Valentine "conversation hearts" right now. I told the kids that we were going to set the timer for 30 minutes. They were going to work together, one room at a time, to get their bedrooms picked up and the sheets changed. However many minutes that remained when the job was completed to my satisfaction was how many pieces of candy they would each receive. With my help (and prodding), this process normally takes 45 minutes to an hour. This morning with me stepping in only on the tricky parts of the sheets, they each walked away with sixteen candy hearts! Not bad.

I heard a presentation on parenting years ago, I think from John Lund. He was talking about a very similar situation and I remember him saying, "Now, some of you may ask, "But isn't that bribery?" And the answer is...no. Bribery is illegal."

So, let's just call this a highly effective, sugar-based incentive. And judging by the results of my now happily playing children and clean home, I would say it's one that we will probably use again...