Will Swim for Treats

Summer swim lessons with Carly were a whole different story than with Ashlyn. She was still terrified of putting her face and head under water. We used an over abundance of encouragement, threats, and bribes. The first day, when she was mean to her teacher and didn't want to do anything, she was sent to time-out when we got home and could not have cared less.

The next day, I told her if she put her head underwater one time, I would get her any treat she wanted. So she did it, just once, and refused to do it again. All she wanted was her promised treat. I was thinking along the lines of an ice-cream cone or candy bar, but she wanted dessert at Flour Girls and Dough Boys. Since I had promised, we went, and 15 dollars later she was happy.

The next day, she pulled the same old crap, so in a moment of weakness I promised her another treat. Her reply, "only if it's any treat I want". My response, "fine, but you have to put your head under the water 2 times". So she did, but twice and only twice {have I ever mentioned how smart my kids are when it comes to working the system?}. That afternoon, after another 15 dollar trip to Dear Lizzie for cupcakes, she was happy. I was starting to think that swim lessons were going to break me.

The next day, after she had realized that putting her face in and jumping from the side was more fun than trouble, I told her that she needed to do what her teacher told her, and that I was done buying treats. She made the cutest little pouty face that nobody can resist. Half an hour after we got home, the doorbell rings and our cute neighbors Brenda and Ashley were on the doorstep with Smart Cookies for Carly {and Ashlyn}. Brenda couldn't stand the thought of little Carly not being rewarded for a swim lesson gone great! The little peanut still scored some sugar--just for being cute.