Ok. Today I was the picture of bad parenting and broke down and out-right bribed my children. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the big boys didn't want to do anything but play Gamecube. So after some prodding to go outside and practice riding bikes went over like a lead balloon, I announced that whoever could ride a two-wheeler all alone by the end of the day would get A PRIZE! Nothing motivates the boys like the promise of A PRIZE. They ran outside and what do you know, both Dax and Hayes were riding without training wheels in under one hour. Had I known two years ago when we got the bikes all it would take was A PRIZE, I would have bribed them then and saved myself all the tears and drama:) By the end of the day, they were both riding to the top of our street, which is a slight hill, and letting it rip! You would never know it was their first day! Also by the end of the day they stopped asking to go to the store to get A PRIZE and actually had fun on their bikes, although I'm positive they'll remind me tomorrow:)
3 comments:
Hey, I'll have to try that! Teaching kids to ride a bike is so much harder than I ever anticipated. And my kids seem to be so risk-averse, they just give up.
Congrats on your achievement!
(oh, and that's not bribery, it's a well-earned REWARD, an Incentive! Totally different)
:)
Congrats on that. I am struggling with Orion (6) riding his bike. He says he wants to, but it's so challenging. He doesn't like to try for very long. I think the incentive plan is a good idea though. I think I might try that today or tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.
Congrats on teaching the boys how to ride their bikes! I am all about bribing or bargaining at my house, whatever it takes to achieve goals theres no shame in that!
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