Bribery and Corruption aka Discipline

Chores in our house is just that, dreary mundane chores; nobody likes to do them, it is just a part of life, it is something that at some point we just have to knuckle down and do. I ask myself the question, why do *I* have to do it all? My answer is...well...I don't, and so begins the training of a new extra mural activity in our house...the chores.

Toys, toys and more toys litter the garden from one end to the other and I have spent a better part of the last three days asking the kids to pack them away. I get some sideways looks (what is it with people constantly giving me sideways looks?), these kids look at me as though I am high on some illegal substance. I ask nicely. I ask not so nicely. I plead. I beg. I turn into one of the Witches of Eastwick, the most evil one. That works for a few seconds and in my moment of ire I find it somewhat amusing watching them scurry around quickly doing what is asked of them as though their very life hangs in the balance, which at that time, probably does. I found a tactic that works, evil witch that rants and raves and screams her head off; it hurts the throat a bit but it works. Mr. Hubby does not agree with this method of disciplining and to be honest it does become quite exhausting being the Sergeant Major all the time. "What do you suggest, hubby dear?" I ask rather sarcastically, "I can ask them a million and two times or I can scream my head off once, maybe twice if I forgot to add in the evil eye the first time and it gets done." Silence is his reply.

Yesterday I found a new method..wahaha...I ...ssshhh...bribe. No screaming. No shouting. Bribery, specifically money. (flashbacks of a younger less experienced *me* who swore that she would never resort to any of the methods I now use, haunt me) Standing outside I remind the kiddies that the garden service is due tomorrow and there are still toys lying all over the place. The kids giggle with delight under their little breaths, they know Mom would never let the weed cutters and lawn mowers damage their precious goods. Evil witch returns. If they are not picked up I will let the lawn mowers mow right over them; there's that sideways look again. "REALLY Mom? " pipes up Madam fluff, quite distressed at the thought. "Really." They call my bluff. OK. I can handle this, new twist, if you pick up all your toys I will give you R5 for cake sale on Friday. Madam Fluff is gone. She scurries around outside with Snuggle Bug in tow, shadowing her every move with the toy box. She then proceeds to start cleaning inside bragging to her big brother of her pending riches. Naturally he wants in on the deal. I explain once again that I will reward him financially for the effort he put into cleaning the effort he put into making the mess in the first place. "So Mom, how much will you give me if I do this and how much for that?" Well I'll be damned, little Madam Fluff is quite happy to clean up outside and practically most if inside too, for R5, while Kade wants a value to every little things he picks up. I calm myself by assuring the beast in me about to expose itself that his is simply a very clever little entrepreneur in the making, that's all. Then I take a deep breath and count to ten....thousand.

This method of "discipline" I know, will only work for a short time, probably close to the time that I run out of money. They are now practically demanding payment for every thing that they do. Kade did actually have the audacity to ask me if there was any financial rewards for doing his homework...eerrr...no, as in HELL NO. So, any ideas or non violent methods of bribery and corruption, sorry, discipline are most welcome indeed.