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Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down

Many of us remember that delightful song from Disney’s popular musical, Mary Poppins about a delightful nanny that breezes into a family’s life and promotes cheer and happiness where there previously was none. The message of the song is just as true today as it was when we first heard Julie Andrew peal out the words… every task you undertake, becomes a piece of cake, a lark, a spree, it’s very clear to see – that – a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

You can apply this concept to your daily interactions with people. We often have to verbally deliver a ‘spoonful’ of ‘medicine’ to someone. Perhaps a co-worker left the kitchen all messy and you have to ask them to clean up after themselves. Maybe your husband threw his dirty socks on the ground again or maybe it’s your kids that need the corrective feedback. Perhaps the kids did not put their bookbags and shoes away when they got home from school yesterday.

In any of those cases, you’re ready to dish out a ‘spoonful’ of criticism, a ‘tablet’ of feedback, or maybe even an ‘overdose’ of verbal punishment. In any case, the ‘medicine’ will go down much more smoothly if it is accompanied by a serving of ‘sugar.’

Let’s look at these examples, with and without the ‘sugar.’

Medicine: Bill! I am sick and tired of you leaving your coffee stir sticks laying around everywhere! You get coffee all over the counter and I put my arm in it and it wrecks my shirt. Quit being such a freaking slob and clean up after yourself for Pete’s sake!

With Sugar: Hey Bill! Good to see you, man! How’s it goin’? How’s Suzie? Is she still playing the oboe? And what about Bill, Junior? Still in Karate? Wow, that’s great. Hey Bill, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor… Sometimes I get coffee all over my sleeves when I’m in the kitchen. I’m wondering if you could see about getting more of those stir sticks into the garbage. This is costing me a fortune in dry cleaning. Whaddya, say, Bill?

Medicine: Jeez Louise, Jim! Here’s your stinking socks again. Are your legs broken? Did you forget where the hamper is? Or are you just retarded? Why can’t a grown man put his socks in the hamper? Do I have to do everything for you, you lazy bum?!

Sugar: Hey sexy! Come on over here and give me a hug, you big stud! Come on in here…. You know what I see here? I come in here and I see socks on the floor and I think about you taking off your socks. Hmm, how interesting. Then I think about what else you might take off. Even more interesting. Why don’t you throw those ol’ stinky socks in the hamper so we won’t be disturbed by them, and why don’t you see what else you can throw in the hamper, too, while you’re at it, like that shirt you’ve got on… and those pants….

Medicine: Janie! Robert! Get your butts down here right now! What are your backpacks and shoes doing down here? I’ve told you a million times to take these up to your room when you get home. Now, get these upstairs before I come whoop both your butts. Kids! NOW!!!

Sugar: Who wants pizza for dinner tonight? Oh, both of you want pizza? Hmm, I’m having a slight problem, though. I would like to order the pizza, but there’s all these books and shoes in the way and I can’t get to the phone. I wonder if you guys would be able to move all this stuff so I can move around here in the living room? Oh, thanks a lot, guys, that really helps. Look at how nice you made the living room. Now I can get right to the phone. Thanks! I’ll call you when the pizza gets here.

The ‘sugar’ helps the ‘medicine’ go down. Is that bribery? Is that ‘kissing butt?’ You might call it those things, but it is essentially being nice to someone so they do what you want them to do. You get the dirty clothes in the hamper or you get the kids to put their stuff away. So you have to be nice to them to get them to do what you want? What’s your alternative? Being mean - straight ‘medicine.’ YUK!

Use the sugar, it doesn’t hurt anything to use it!

Posted on February 22, 2005