Perhaps the best parenting tip I can offer.
Lately Natty has been making me bat-S crazy with her constant inability to listen and mind. More and more I find myself raising my voice in an attempt to get her *listen* because plenty of hearing tests have proven she can *hear*.
I get that being 3, nearly 4 has a lot to do with it, but when she's constantly picking up Keely, pulling her over and putting her up on the furniture, it's more than just a not-listening thing; it's a safety thing.
To date we've tried everything: explaining why the behavior is dangerous and against the rules, spanking, time-out, nose in the corner and even being sent to her room.
NOTHING.WAS.WORKING.
It's been constant, non-stop, never-ending riding our middle wonder with NO positive outcome.
Until Monday night.
Right, wrong or indifferent. I don't care. It's working.
Pure bribery.
It seems our dear Natty Kat is driven by the American dollar.
It seems our dear Natty Kat will go to any length to plumpen her piggy bank.
It seems our dear Natty Kat lives for the coinage.
I start the day out with $3 worth of quarters in my left pocket, AKA Natty's pocket. As the day progresses and Natty doesn't listen or mind, she has to pick a quarter from her collection and give it to me. So far the most she's been down is $1.50 and that absolutely devastated her. Not because it meant she was misbehaving, but because it meant she lost 6 quarters.
6 WHOLE QUARTERS!!!
Who knows what sort of psychological damage I'm doing to her.
Who knows what sorts of problems I'm creating for her.
Who knows what sort of false-reality she'll grow up to live in.
All I know is that bribery, in it's purest form, is working.
Well as long as I don't run out of quarters.
Don't let that face fool you...
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