Sunday, November 6, 2011

~ the fine line between bribery and incentive ~



{maybe he'll be the next superfish!}


Jack had his first swimming lesson this week.
He was not all that enthusiastic about it.
We should have suspected this - he hates getting his hair washed, will NOT have a shower and has been telling us that swimming lessons are for "big 4 boys" (ie not big 3 year olds).
We have delayed a while - the girls both started at about 6 months in those classes that are all about the parents and the nursery rhymes are loud enough to scare the children.

But swimming started again this week (we go to an outdoor pool in Hobart - gasp!!) and we were determined that it was time.
Cunningly we took him to watch the big girls first - he was quick to spot the end of lesson reward - the jars of mixed lollies that the kids spend an eternity in front of trying to work out how to get best value from 50c.


{Miss Pat has an amazing collection of vintage pool toys}


 And it worked...he was a bit slow to warm up but by halfway he was shouting across the pool to me "this fun mummy" and proudly announced at the end that "me did evvything Miss Pat says, me get green snake now."


{floaties and a back float but solo!}


I'm sure it's called incentive




4 comments:

  1. Go Jack!!!
    I'd say incentive is exactly the right word

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  2. Definitely incentive! Nothing wrong with a bit of bribery every now and then I don't think ;)

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  3. Oh my heart was in my throat. So pleased to see he got in the water. We use a lot of incentive in my house. It works wonders. Even now with the older children we have a tally board with a plus for good deeds, beds made, kind words and a crossed out plus for not so great behaviour. A weekly green snake style prize for the owner of the most pluses. Incentive :) Now following your gorgeous blog xx

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  4. oh so adorable, I never learnt to swim as a child, and always felt nervous in water until I learnt in my late twenties.

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