Homework Bribery

Being a good dad is a tricky balance.

Take homework. What tactics are you supposed to apply to your kid to get them to do their homework? Fear ("you dont want to fail that test")? Compliments ("I'm so proud of you!")? Patience ("I'm just going to sit here...")? Flattery ("you'll be the smartest kid in class!")? Parental wishful thinking ("homework is fun")? I'm not proud of it, but I often subscribe to a simple solution. Hint: it starts with a "B" and ends with "-ribery".

Haha actually that's a bit of an exhaggeration. It doesn't take that much to get Margot to do her homework. She likes reading so to her that is fun. She does complain about math, but often if I sit down and explain some of "tricks" to solve some of the more complex problems she really gets into it and wants to try them out on new problems. There's a term for when she wants to do extra homework: dad heaven.

But when that doesn't happen I'm not going to lie, I don't have any qualms about slipping a little bribery into the mix to tip the balance into getting her homework done.

Ice cream cone and pencils...nice.

Lately, we've combined completing homework with the daddy-daughter dates we occasionally enjoy. We've done math problems at Stella Luna and practised reading at our local Bridgehead coffee house. It's nice because it gives us something to chat about (not that her regular stories about the trials and trevails of grade four aren't interesting!). And c'mon. It spices up an overwise mundane task! Haha maybe Margot is going to develop a mental association between her multiplication tables and lemon sorbet?!