Survival Tip

When you have small children at home there are times you are just trying to survive. You are just making it through the day. You learn little tricks here and there to help make the day flow a little bit smoother. Well maybe "you" don't...but I do! I know this is not going to get me any "mother of the year" awards. Some of you may not like what I share or completely disagree with them. But you know what? Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get through the day and I am okay with that!

So as these tips come to me or happen I will share them! So without further ado here is my survival tip #1:

DO NOT BE ABOVE BRIBING

Yup that's right. I bribe my children. You know what else? Marshmallows are like crack for my children. Seriously they will do just about anything for one!

Yes, I would really like my children to be intrinsically motivated. I would love to say, "Time to clean up." and have my children willingly and easily comply. But they don't. They fight me about cleaning up HARD. And let me be real with you...I do not have the time or energy to spend an hour (maybe more) every day guiding them to clean up. I just dont.

So Dan and I came up with this little trick. One mini marshmallow for every item/items picked up. It looks a little something like this:

"Okay pick up all your shoes and put them in your closet. When you come back you can get a marshmallow."

I have never seen my children move so quickly!

"Okay, now pick up all your books and put them on the shelf."

They are like little blurs by this point.

When it is all said and done the kids get about 5-10 mini marshmallows and I get to have a clean room. Oh and it takes 10 minutes or less. I call that a win.

Like I said this might not be for everyone...but I am totally not above bribing my children. I don't know what I am going to do when marshmallows lose their luster...

Hope you enjoyed. Please share some of your survival tips, too!!!!