Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We've been bribing Ryan with money to get her to sleep in her bed. So far it's working pretty well, mostly because there's a doll she wants that she's "saving" for, and since I earmark $$ every paycheck for stuff for the kids, I figure I might as well get my money's worth out of it.

So anyway, I may or may not have mentioned this before, but...Ryan is loud. Both the kids are, but 9 times out of 10, he's just copying her. Lately it's gotten ridiculous -- she'll just let out an ear-piercing wail for no reason; in the car, the house, sometimes I can even hear her in the Kid's Gym while I'm working out. I always laugh at that last one, but the car and house thing? Just pisses me off, plus I wasn't awarded WORST DRIVER in High School for nothin' -- I need as little distractions as possible.

So far nothing has worked with the screaming bit, so when she let one loose in the car yesterday, instead of reaching back and spanking her, which was what I wanted to do, I just took away one of her dollars earned this week. Then, when she did it again at the library, she lost another dollar.

The losing money thing definitely caught her attention, however, by now the behavior is ingrained, so when she ended up screaming again during her swim lesson, she immediately froze, then turned slowly in my direction, pleading, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry Mommy! Please! I'm so sorry!!!"

At which point every head at the pool simultaneously turned toward me, standing at the farthest edge in my baggy black shift, hair pulled back tight, skin all pale (although accessorized by the faint orange-tinting of my Mystic), sporting my black Jackie O's, staring disapprovingly at my daughter.

Cue theme from "The Godfather".