Do I bribe my 5 y.o to go to babysitter?

cinnamon

Sun, Aug 12 2012, 6:41 am

I have a great babysitter, last year she watched my baby (who is 1.5 now) and also had a gan for my then 2 y.o in a different part of the house (with different gananot) and also took my then 4 y.o after gan and till 4.00

During vacation she had a day camp running until last week and will have another day camp setting running starting next week (r"c) and until school starts (I think the 28th)

I am planning on sending my 5 y.o and my 1.5 y.o to her day camp next week and have my 3 y.o son go there for the afternoon. (he is starting gan on r"c)

Thing is my 5 y.o dd really doesn't want to go. She loved going after gan during the school year and enjoyed the day camp to but she doesn't want to go now when my son will be going to cheider.
I tried explaining the she doesn't have gan yet and that’s why she still has to go to day camp but it didn't help.

so, what do you think? Should I try to promise her a prize if she goes? (aka bribe her)
Do I continue trying to explain that since I work she has to go there and she will either understand and go happily or not understand and go unhappily?

The reason I am hesitant to bribe her for this (even though it will probably work out well) is because she will have to continue going there after gan during the school year and for whole days during various vacation times and I don't want to set a precedent of giving her prizes for going to day care.
WWYD?

5*Mom

Sun, Aug 12 2012, 7:39 am

Have you asked her why she doesn't want to go? If she has a valid concern you need to hear it and address it. Or maybe she has another suggestion for what she would prefer to do/where to go while you are working that you could consider. 5 is old enough to include her opinions and preferences in the plans. I'm not a big fan of bribing for a variety of reasons, one of them being it's used to avoid doing the above, which takes time and effort and maybe a bit of inconvenience but which is parenting, after all.

cinnamon

Sun, Aug 12 2012, 7:49 am

She doesn't want to go because her younger who would have gone with her is going to cheider instead. There really is no other alternative not one that I can come up with and not one that she can.

I tried explaining that she will be going to gan the week after but it doesn't help, I tried reminding her that she had a good time when she went last time but that doesn't help either.

Liba

Sun, Aug 12 2012, 8:01 am

Why are you discussing it so soon? Personally I wouldn't bribe her, though maybe allow her a special sandwich or treat to celebrate the first day back. I would just let her know it is what is happening the night before and not discuss it between now and then.