Avoid "If-Then" Rewards

During a workshop for our local child care providers, Alexis Robin Nourish Life & Business Coach recommended the book "Drive" by Daniel Pinks. While Pink's book is directed more toward business managers, the underlying theme is about human motivation and is a great read for any parent or adult who works with children. 
In his book, Pink shares with readers a study conducted in 1973 by Lepper, Greene & Nisbett. The researchers went into a preschool classroom and identified the children who naturally chose art and drawing when it was free period. 

They divided these children into 3 groups. 

• The first group had an "expected reward". They were promised a "Good Player" certificate with a blue ribbon for completing a drawing.
• The second group was given a certificate spontaneously after completing a drawing and they weren't expecting the reward.
• The third group was never given an award.

Two weeks later the researchers returned. When given free time, the kids in group 2 and 3 still chose art equally but those in group 1 chose significantly less than at the start of the study.

Pink explains that "if-then" rewards require people to forfeit some of their autonomy (think of this as safe power) and drains their enjoyment of the activity.

Relating this to child development....avoid "if-then" rewards. If you eat all of your dinner you get dessert. If you clean your room you can watch a movie.  If you help me with the dishes we can go to the park.....

Instead, catch children being good. Notice good behavior as close as possible after the fact with genuine and specific acknowledgement. If a spontaneous reward follows, that works too! "Thank you for helping me clean the kitchen. With your help we finished faster. Now we have extra time to go to the park."