last one up is a rotten egg!

Do your children happily oblige as soon as you ask them to do something?  Well, that's great.  Good for you.  Pin a rose on your nose.  Mine have to be bribed.  I blame it on the fact that I'm raising boys.  

One word:  testosterone.

How do I remedy this lack of motivation in my boys?  Competition, people.  Friendly, "last one up is a rotten egg" competition.  One simple sentence and I can get them to do just about anything. 

ME:  Let's go brush teeth.
THEM:  Ignore.
ME:  Who doesn't want cavities?!  (I throw out my spirit fingers just to make that statement sound even more exciting.)
THEM:  Ignore.
ME:  I guess all your teeth are going to rot and the dentist will have to pull them all out.  One by one.  Slowly.  Painfully. 
THEM:  Ignore.
ME:  Last one up is a rotten egg!
THEM:  Running and pushing, shoving  happily skipping up the stairs to go do exactly what mommy has asked of them.  My sweet, perfect little angels.

Everything's dandy. 

Until someone is left as the rotten egg.

 


THEM:  Crying, fighting, "I don't want to be the rotten egg!"
ME:  No, no, I'm the rotten egg.  Look at me!  I'm so rotten!  And I'm an egg...rotting.  Just like your teeth are going to do if you don't get in the bathroom right now and start brushing.
THEM:  Crying, fighting, "I don't want to be the rotten egg!" 
ME:  Think fast, think fast, think fast.........still thinking.
HUSBAND: (yelling from downstairs)  "First one up eats it!!"

Nice.  Real nice.  Now they're both crying.  Good save, Hubby.  Good save.