Bribes and disguises

It's always hard to go back to reality after a long weekend. Yesterday my girls were supposed to be getting ready for school and I found them dressing incognito. "We are teenagers and we like broccoli! We are not your kids." Pretty convincing with the awesome disguises they wore. Hmmmm....definitely not my girls.

Then this last week I had a sweet experience with my 10 year old and only son. My baby, 9 months, has been a bear. She just seems to cry all the time making everything more nerve wracking and I have been struggling to keep my girls caught up in some of their online classes. I finally begged my son to sit with the girls and go through the 2 lessons with them and help them turn in the assignments while I tended to the ever screaming baby.

I knew it would take them at least 2 hour, so I was prepared to bribe him handsomely for his help. I asked him point blank what he wanted. Name it- I said- you can have a treat from out school store, extra computer game time...

I went on and on hoping to spark his interest. He kept shaking his head-no- he didn't want any of those things.

Deflated I stopped and he jumped in and said-mom, I said no because I want you to know, you don't have to bribe me to help you- I'll help you ok?

I wanted to cry as I hugged him. He wanted to help because it was the right thing to do, the kind thing. Sigh.