Motherhood and the Second Child

It wasn't until my second child that I resorted to bribery. With Hannah Grace, my first-born, I did everything by the book. People were amazed that she could go into Wal-Mart and never ask for a single thing. She sat in the buggy (in the front part where she is supposed to, as opposed to Noah who has to ride in the back because he thinks its a train) and was as content as could be. I could shop for hours on end. I thought to myself... I got this parent thing figured out. Well... Noah arrived and things soon changed. My whole mindset became "What can I do to keep these kids happy, so I can buy some milk and bread." It all started when he was about 6 months. I would stock my purse with cheerios, crackers, you name it. If he would fret, I pulled out the food. Hannah Grace was 2 at the time, and I also started packing things to make her stay happy. Its been 2 years, and the bribery is now part of life. We never leave the house without our "prizes" in my purse. And there is acutally a game plan. I have to mentally think how long we will be "out and about" and carefully time each prize. When our prizes run out, its time to go home. I wonder if other moms do this? I have learned with Noah not to sweat the small stuff. A couple lollipops will not cause eternal tooth decay. Lollipops can actually be compared to good therapy, they keep you from going nuts.