Give the Kid A Prize
Even if he didn't earn it?
Hey all! Julie and I had more than 2 drinks last night at a, get this, PARTY! So we need to recover for 97 hours, so I’m gonna keep this short and sweet!
This week’s guest on Parenting is a Joke, is a long-time friend - she’s a comic mom and is about to stage her new solo show in LA, Giulia Rozzi! We talk about how great life can be walking around in a robe all day, and I marvel at the fact that she is raising a daughter who already puts her shit away! But you can also hear us talking about being the unpopular mom in the text chain
Here’s where I need you, readers and listeners! Advise me PLEASE.
My son came home almost a month ago and told me he wanted this hand-held Pac-Man Game Boy that retails on Amazon for $27. He argued that it’s like a Switch without being a Switch, has no Ads, comes with 3 Pac-Man games, and he LOVES Pac-Man (this was news to me). He also said it’s affordable. So we started down this path of what he would do to earn it.
We discuss it in a Parenting is a Joke mini-episode (10 minutes, c’mon, you can do it):
But here’s the long and short of it - he said that he was going to be “good” for a month. And what that entailed was doing his chores, not complaining, not arguing…he also said he would cut back on his iPad time FOR A MONTH.
So it’s been a month, and…. well, none of that really happened. He did his chores most of the time; he had to be reminded most of the time, and he almost always complained. He always asked for more iPad time, and I received calls home from his school 3 TIMES! Once, it was because one of his friends asked him to punch another friend, and he did it! So there was a lot of talking, reconciling, apologizing, and trying to turn things into teaching moments!
On the other hand, he’s such a sweet kid, and he did do some of the things he promised, and he’s a kid…. do I sound ridiculous?
Listen, I bought it. It’s hidden my closet right now. Of course, I could return it.
But do I give it to him this weekend? Or do I not give it to him at all because he really didn’t earn it?
Thoughts? Please?
While you’re thinking, don’t forget to check out this week’s episode with Giulia Rozzi, and look forward to next week with hosts of Pop Culture Moms Andie Mitchell and Sabrina Kohlberg, we talk about Bluey’s mom, and who would win in fight - Dr. Becky or Dr. Emily Oster! Look forward to that.
Now back to hydrating. A beer and a martini? What was I thinking…
How long is the return window?
TBH I wouldn’t give it now…getting called thrice by School is objectively not good. Hold until he does something objectively awesome and wholesomely good and then give it to him when he isn’t expecting it?
Taunt him by playing it in front of him until all chores are complete. The second you give it to him, you've lost the upper hand in all future negotiations.