Gatorade and Nutella

I have always refrained from using food as a bribe or bargaining tool with my kids. Always.

Always is a long time. And always ended today.

Tuesday is the day my son has his weekly appointment with the psychologist. We go straight from school, and I keep a selection of snacks for both kids to choose from to eat in the car. Today my son did not want any of the snacks.

And not only did he not want any of the snacks, he also did not want to go to his therapy appointment. Within the span of 2 minutes he cycled through – whining “why do I have to go?”,  to crying “I really don’t want to go.”, to crying louder “I don’t like going”, to screaming “you can’t make me go”, to wordless sobbing. All in 2 minutes. While I was driving, and his sister was attempting shrink into her side of the car to get as far from him as she possibly could.

I was about to pull over so I could focus on him – instead of trying to focus on both him and the road – when I remembered that in the block ahead of us there was a 7-11. That was the moment always ended, and I found myself making the offer of stopping to get any snack he wanted in exchange for his promise of going to his appointment.

Compliance was bought with Gatorade and Nutella.