" No Really Biggi, Where Is The Real Prize? "

Don't try and bribe a Kindergarten kid with a measly 100g bar of chocolate...

It's the thought that counts, isn't it? Well, my two preschoolers are rather a hardy bunch and I told them last week that I would introduce the Bean-system. Luckily I remembered to bring it along, because as anyone who deals with youngsters of that age knows, they don't forget a thing!

As a reward for good behaviour they get a bean ( such as playing as a team, speaking a few English words and not using bad words ) and after four sessions a prize is garnered by the one who has the most beans! In my defense I was going to buy an additional big bar of chocolate but I just wanted to have them see a tangible prize.

I should have known better. Before I even finished explaining the rules, they both demanded to see the reward.

" What, is that all? "
" Biggi, I have a bigger stash of chocolate in my room! "
" Really Biggi, where is the rest of it? "

...talk about a tough crowd. Honestly, I was so thrown by this, that foolishly I dangled a possible addition for the winner in front of them.

Another good thing about preschoolers is that they soon go on to the next thrill and for the moment they were thrilled to win beans for things. One of the contestants kept on uttering a bad
( German ) word that rhymes with both ' hit ' and ' sit' and after the second time I told him that a bean would be taken out of the jar, if I heard it again....Let's just say that he willingly gave me the bean, but didn't utter it again. Definitely a win for me!

The other little chap was so into earning beans that for everything he did, he thought he deserved a bean...as if!

Gosh, they were so funny. All of a sudden, the one decided that playing two minutes of chasing after the soccer ball was ample and said to me:

" Biggi, I am hungry. Can I eat the chocolate now! "

Even bribery has inflation to deal with...and my leverage is shrinking alarmingly.

Biggi