Why Bribery Never Works

I resorted to bribery recently. Not the "if you eat your peas, you can have a brownie" kind of bribery. No, the real thing - with money.

My brother's kid was turning one, and they were having a birthday party, and I had a pile of toys in the basement that my kid never ever ever played with anymore, including an inflatable horse which I knew would be the hands-down perfect gift. So I said to my child "let's give Rody to your cousin for his birthday". And she burst into tears and refused. This went on for a week or so - I'd propose giving the horse away, she'd cry. My husband thought I was poking it with a stick, as I am wont to do, but I kept hoping she'd see reason. No dice.

So I offered her money. Ten dollars. She refused. "I love Rody; he's my favorite toy!" I tried to talk to her about what she could get for that ten dollars, like a Barbie, the Barbie that I flat out refuse to countenance. But she didn't want ten dollars; she wanted Rody.

Eventually, I had a brainstorm. I was willing to give her ten dollars which she could use to buy the Barbie of her dreams. So I cut out the ten dollar bill and offered to buy her a Barbie. "Mommy, let's go to Target now!"

Off we went to Target and she picked out a Barbie and we went home and made a tag for Rody and the next day she gave Rody to her cousin and showed her new Barbie to everyone else at the party.



And then she asked "if I give Big Elmo to Tiny, can I get another Barbie?"

Thin end of the damned wedge.