Bribery and Bitter Lemons

I gave all three children a cookie today. Nothing very unusual about that. Except that it was 7.55am. It was a bribe.

I was bribing them out of the house to go to school.

When that only partially worked, I gave them another cookie each.

Before I knew it, I had three girls, in uniform, bags over their shoulders, packed lunches, PE kits, reading books, water bottles, everything – out the door and heading to school. Oh, clean knickers on too.

I was dreading bumping into a neighbour as they munched their way through a custard cream. What kind of parenting was this?

But then I thought about what I do, when I don’t want to go into work, or attend a meeting, or complete a report, or make a call – I will often treat myself to something nice. It’s a sweetener. It softens the blow.

My kids are like me and I am like them. Sometimes life tastes of bitter lemons, in which case I add sugar. Sometimes it is real sugar.