Bribery

As I plead, beg and bargain my way through parenthood, let it be known that I am certainly not above bribery. Not at all. Moms are free to use this superpower of theirs when all else fails. When nothing else seems to work.

I have been trying for a couple of years to get my daughter, Marikate, to bring her grades up. She is a horrible student. I don't know why. She isn't stupid, she doesn't have a learning disability, she is kind of lazy, though. She is brilliantly artistic. She can play many instruments, the piano, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, mellophone, and French horn. She can also sing very well. Part of her problem, is that if she does not like a teacher, or a particular class, she will not participate. At all. This makes me crazy!

I have threatened her many times with many different things when the report card comes home. We have grounded her, taken priveleges away, taken away boyfriend time, I think I even threatened her with living in the camper. I have spoken to people she respects and asked them to talk to her. I have asked them to explain the importance of school, and how it is neccessary to get anywhere in life. I have even taken her to counseling. Things will pick up for a while.

If she ends up failing anything this year, she will not be able to join Marching Band next year. That is my bottom line! You can just imagine the attitude I got over that one.

Well, this time I think I found the "Achille's Heel". There is a concert she wants to go to in April with her friends. A whole group of them are going to travel to New York to see Opeth. Her favorite band in the whole world. I offered to buy her tickets (one for her, and one for her boyfriend) to the show, pay her way down there, and pay for the hotel. All she has to do is bring her grades up to a "C" by the end of March. I told her that if she did not pass every class, then I will give her tickets to someone else (or I will go myself, I like Opeth). I have posted proof on facebook that I have purchased these tickets, so she knows I am not pulling her leg. When they arrive in the mail, I am going to wave them under her nose everyday! I have even enlisted her friends into encouraging her.

I really hope this all works out. I am so tired of arguing with her about her grades. But mostly I am tired of her know-it-all attitude. Honey, I have been there! You seem to forget that I knew-it-all way before you did!