When All Else Fails, Bribe 'em

I've whined quite a bit about Mitchell not wanting to brush his teeth.

Thank you all for your suggestions, BTW.

So I decided to create a sticker chart with a reward at the end: a new Hot Wheels car.

Had things worked out like planned, we would have gone to Target yesterday and Mitchell would have picked out his new Hot Wheels car and I'd open it as I strapped him into his carseat for the ride home.

But, we all know ... things never go as planned!

I think it was Saturday at Mitchell refused to brush so Paul had to do it for him. Not pleasant.

And, I wasn't going to change my plans ... I wanted to go to Target yesterday so I could go to the grocery store today. (The grocery store seems picked over from the weekend on Mondays, but on Tuesdays - they have all new stuff.)

Before leaving for Target, I explained that while there, Mitchell would get to pick out a Hot Wheels but that he wouldn't be able to open it or play with it until tomorrow when he brushed his teeth and got the last star on his chart.

Did you know Hot Wheels are just 97 cents each at Target? Me either! Thank goodness they're cheap - I have a feeling there will be lots more bribery rewards for toothbrushing to come.

Mitchell studied his choices for quite a while. (Noah was about to roar.) Then I pointed out the Mystery Cars. Hot Wheels marketing geniuses have put some cars in a black package and labeled them a mystery. So, he picked one.

We came home and put it in the bathroom, right in front of his chart. When his friend Abbey came over to play yesterday, he even led her to the bathroom to show her.

This morning, he comes downstairs and announces, "I need to brush my teeth right now, Mom." Wow!

Then, he coughed a little and asked for something to drink, "Juice, please." As I'm walking to the kitchen ...

"No, wait! Not juice. Juice has too much sugar and I don't need those extra sugar bugs. Can I have water?"

What the ...

So I gave him a drink and he ran into the bathroom and brushed his teeth then asked me to do touch-up. Then, he grabbed the Hot Wheels Mystery car and ran into the living room.

He's now sitting on the sofa holding it while watching "Captain Planet."

(And, he's already asked if he can pick out another Hot Wheels next week! I think I'll stick with the pick it Monday, open it Tuesday - seems like great motivation at least one day a week!)