There Will Be Bribes

(The Inspiration for today’s title is the Oscar Award telecast which is scheduled for tonight . I love movies and used to go see every well-reviewed movie as soon as it was released. Oh how times have changed. Recently, I read an article about the 25 movies from 2007 that every film fanatic should see. I scanned the list and saw only 2 movies that I had seen – Ratatouille and Enchanted – two kids movies. Oh well. By the way, the post has NOTHING to do with movies. )

I hatched a plan last week that is designed to increase the likelihood that I’ll be able to get out of the house at a reasonable hour each weekday morning. I've devoted past postings to the challenges I face every week morning getting Little Zo Peep out of the door. Although I'm still getting to know Libby Doodle Doo, I sense that -- like her sister-- she is NOT a morning person.

I feel like a rabbit who is trying to mother a turtle and a snail -- our natures are so completely opposite each other that conflict is sure to arise. In fact, getting ready in the morning is just a recipe for disaster in our household.

Before I started back to work last Monday, I decided that I needed to leave the house by 7:15AM each morning to get the girls to school and daycare and comfortably arrive at my job between 8 AM and 8:15.

I never came close. The best I did was leaving at 7:40AM.

So here's the new plan I've devised. I plan to use positive incentives to encourage efficient, compliant, and speedy behavior from Zo Peep (and eventually Libby Doodle Doo) in the morning. By rewarding their good behavior, I thought that I would increase the likelihood that we would leave at the appropriate time.

What are the details? For every weekday that we get out of the house by 7:15 without major arguments or misery, I will give Zo Peep one Beach BEAD. She will string these bead on a cord. When she has collected 100 Beach Beads, I will book a vacation for the family to go on a beach vacation. This scenario doesn't end with the Beach vacation. In fact, this plan can go on until the girls are out of high school (well, maybe middle school) . Beach Beads can be transformed to Mickey Beads for a Disney World vacation. Then Ski BEADS for a ski vacation-- and so on and so on.

Now some of you may call this "positive incentive" plan nothing but a thinly-veiled bribe. To-may- toes; To-mah-toes -- If it works, I'll call it whatever you want.

I know that things I've tried in the past -- nagging, punishing, yelling (I'm ashamed to say) have NOT been effective. I'll give this plan a try for awhile.

Zo Peep is very excited about starting on Monday. I think she may not see a bead for the first week or so. I asked her many times tonight what she was going to prepare in advance to assure that she'll get out of the house early tomorrow (e.g. lay out clothes, pack bookbag and put in car, etc). She wasn't interested in doing anything -- so I'm 100% positive tomorrow will not be a terrific success. After the expected-fiasco tomorrow, I can make suggestions to her on ways she can trim her get ready time.

Wish us luck. We're going to need it.