Conversations with Indiana Jones - Eva Varga

Have you ever sent your child to his room with instructions to pick up everything from the floor only to check his progress half an hour later and discover the Indiana Jones Lego mini-fig in a stand off against the Playmobil Roman gladiators??

Of course you have.

Imagine my surprise the first time I found an Indiana Jones mini-fig excavating the archeological ruins of the Romans when nothing should have been on the floor by that point, let alone more things. It is not uncommon when I say, “do your Mandarin homework” that Sweetie dutifully sits down to finish writing out her characters while Buddy has somehow found a piece of string that has now become a whip, and apparently I am René Belloq; because Buddy and his whip have thwarted all my efforts to get him on track.  Then again,

Nothing surprises me; I’m a scientist.

Turns out you don’t need to speak like Marion to get a young archeologist’s attention, you simply have to know what motivates him and use it accordingly. Perhaps the promise of a new Lego set if the trash is taken out each day for the entire month. Maybe an enormous carrot like an Indiana Jones themed birthday party will entice your young explorer to avoid arguments with his sister for three months.  Find your little man’s motivation and use it to encourage positive behavior. And when discussing his behavior and choices, it is important to remember,

Choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.