Bribes, Lies and Compromise

I believe the title sums up my thoughts on parenting.

Bribes...
Why does it seem that every time you want or need your child to do something, there's a price tag attached to it. "I will give you candy if you sit still and allow me to cut your hair." "Whoever gets in their car seat first gets a prize." There just seems to be this constant stream of backroom deals and bartering on a constant and daily basis.

Lies...
Oh, everyone's favorite. If you don't want to do something...well...parents just lie instead of going through the full explanation or actually telling the truth. I can't count the number of things that happen to be "broken", "closed", "lost", or "yucky". Mommy/daddy can we go to the park and play on the swings. "Sorry pumpkin, the swings are broken". Can we use..." I think it's lost, maybe we can find it later". The best kept secret of all is the vanishing act. Anything that comes into the house and we want to get rid of it, either vanishes while they sleep or when the kids are out of the house.

Compromise...
The compromise and bribe and definitely close cousins. However, it's not so much about the thing they receive but the trade-off that occurs. If you want to go to the park, you have to first clean up.

What have I become?