Be Nice and I'll Stuff you Full of Crap

Overheard recently was yet another parent's plea for polite behavior in exchange for a trip to McDonald's. It struck me this morning that it's a small wonder that we have a childhood obesity problem. It's a question of how you define "treat," of course (and I'm just as guilty as the next dad) but the prevailing custom of cutting deals with your kids struck me as horrifically bad all of a sudden.

It might just be that it's the end of summer and all of the socialization has evaporated in the summer heat, but it seems to me that I've seen and made more concessions to grumpy kids recently. Granted, I'm not the first parent to pray for the return of school, but I'm going to try to find better ways to make bargains - bargains that honor the need for awesome kid experiences but don't resort to Rice Krispie squares all the time. Bargains that engage and inform rather than stupefy.

Yeah. And then I'll make peace in the Middle East.