Bribery

I mentioned in yesterday's post that my husband and I have begun attending a Monday night Bible study.

As many of you know, we have five children in our family. Our oldest son and oldest daughter are frequently called upon to watch their younger siblings. In an effort to minimize calling upon the older children to kidsit, I have hatched an ingenious plan that inspires our younger children to behave peaceably on their own and with minimal supervision by their older siblings.

The plan is simple and it goes like this. Every Monday night we tell the children that we will pay each child $1 if they behave themselves the hour and a half that we are gone. If one child misbehaves, then the rest of the tribe gets to divide the naughty kid's dollar amongst themselves.

Yes, I am well aware that I am bribing my children to behave; but I say forget about all that! This system has worked remarkably well for the past six weeks. Remarkably well.

Ok, so here's where I get to tell a short story about our youngest daughter.....

Yesterday morning, my youngest daughter walks up to me with her six dollars in her hands and says, "Here Mommy, I want you to have half of my dollars, because you are such a good Mommy." And she promptly handed me three, crisp and shiny one dollar bills.

Can you believe that? My beautiful, seven year old daughter was sharing her wealth and affirming my value as her mother all at the same time.

Yeah, yeah, I know there's something a little twisted about a seven year old "paying" her mother for being such a good mommy; but look beneath the surface and see her heart....her sweet, generous, loving heart.

I was so touched that she was willing to put her money where her mouth is. I can only pray that she will live the entirety of her life that way.

The world would certainly be a better place if more of us were willing to live what we say....but then, that's fodder for a whole other blog post now, isn't it?