Do you bribe your children to be good in public?
I definitely do. I’ve seen a huge turnaround in Madeline’s behavior since I started intentionally talking to her about where we are going and painting a clear picture for her of what her behavior should look like BEFORE we go in each place we visit (inside voice, walking not running, no begging, complaining or whining, no running away).
That word “before” is so key. We sit in the car for an extra minute and talk about how she should and should not behave before EACH place we visit. Do it every time. After a few days it will just become habit to have these chats and you’ll be motivated to keep doing it when you see the improvement!
Then we talk about what she will earn as a reward. Something small. It doesn’t take much to put a smile on her face.
Since I started doing this consistently she is becoming really fun to shop with!
This morning we went to Kohl’s, Target, Office Depot, Clothes Mentor and Walmart. The outing cost me this fluffy pillow that I was planning to get her anyway ($4.88 at Walmart) and half a chocolate chip muffie from Panera…I got the other half.
If at any point on the outing she forgot, I could just say “fluffy pillow” or “muffie” and see a total 180. People around us probably thought her name was Muffy today. 😂
Essentially Better Living 