I have written about using bribes (uh, incentives) to get my kids to do what I want. Here’s a twist on conventional wisdom that I’m eager to try out. Usually, we use dessert as the incentive for eating their dinner. “Finish your vegetables and you can have a cookie”. This worked for a time, but now it seems, to a preschooler, that the work involved to finish all the vegetables isn’t worth the wait for a cookie.
So, throwing convention on its head, I’m ready to offer the dessert up front to get it out of the way. Then, as long as he’s hungry, he’ll eat the vegetables anyway. It’s just twisted enough to work, especially in the mind preschoolers, who are so honest and trusting.? After all, who else would admit to stealing their brother’s toy if I just ask?
Careful with this one. Once dessert is finished, they want more dessert. I think the “trick” is to find as many things that they like and offer it to them before hunger (and crankiness) sets in.
We tried the bribing thing, but he quickly figured it out, or was simply stubborn.
My wife figured out to serve our preschooler vegies & dip while we’re getting our meal ready. He’s usually hungry enough to gobble up the vegies while waiting for his meal. Hey- whatever works!