When and how to bribe your brood

Today Lucie had a dose of antibiotics via injection. The orals weren't cutting it and it was time to up the ante, literally. She's had another UTI, or as she calls it "a sick front bottom". 

The dose was split between her right and left arm. The left arm cost me a lolly snake and the right arm a small fries from Mc Donald's.
When you consider the bonus of a lemonade icypole from the nurse, she really got a good deal. Or did she? I don't know, despite the look of horror some parents give you when you reward with food, I'm guessing she'd have chosen not to be jabbed twice. And let's face it, an intramuscular isn't the most pleasant.

Let me set the scene: crying, rather HYSTERICAL and strong four year old, grad nurse trying to give her first IM (she looked nervous), no extra man power to hold down sick and upset child. It broke my heart a little. I also fully realised that holding a child down is soooo much harder when you're the parent. Of course it didn't take too many brain cells to assume as much but the reality was even more confronting. God help me if we're ever dealing with more than this.   

My point? When is it ok to use food to reward and/or bribe? I'm not parenting expert but in my book of rules I say it's ok within reason. Especially ok when there is nothing else to get you through. There are times when you do what you have to do and that's ok. Do I believe in rewarding for behaviour? No, of course NOT. But do I do it sometimes, yes of course I do. I am human and I slip. There are times that I'd give her anything (like the time I bought her a barbie in exchange for a urine sample - to be fair she was really sick and I'd have paid good cash for that sample).

So long as your child isn't sick every day, I'm pretty sure the odd aid to get them through a medical situation won't hurt. What matters to me is that Lucie knows that things like lollies and Mc Donald's are huge treats. They are to celebrate or commiserate. It could be worse (... I once heard a story of someone who pureed KFC for baby food).

Oh well, it's done now anyway and I suppose I can use one of the many get out of jail cards that they give you when you give birth to a child. They have sure come in handy.