I was a better Mom before I had kids

Have you ever heard of the book, I was a better Mom before I had kids? Well, I haven't read it, but I certainly feel like I could have written it! I was always the one in the restaurant or the grocery store that would roll her eyes and mumble to myself about how a parent needed to control their kid; now occasionally I'm the one with the kid screaming "No! No! No!" I also used to hate how society softened up and said to use time-out instead of spankings; now I understand the expression "This hurts me more than it hurts you"....I can't stand to do it! I used to tell Moms to NEVER bribe their kids or reward them for things they are supposed to do. But come on, who are we kidding? Even James Dobson recommends a little "incentivizing". So that's what we do! Like he says, would you work if you weren't receiving a paycheck? So we've decided "incentivizing" is acceptable while:

1.Potty training

2.Staying quiet in church

3.Staying still in a restaurant

4.Sitting nicely on Santa's lap for a good picture

Sure, that may take us out of the running for Parents of the Year, but sometimes you just do what you can to make life easier!

Anyone who has tried to take a picture of Jacob anytime in the last year knows that it is not an easy task. As soon as he sees a camera he yells "No want to!" and runs away. It is very frustrating! Enter, another ammendment to the bribing...I mean incentivizing....rule. When offered a single jelly bean, we went from this (notice the puckered lips):

to this:

.....I rest my case.