We have tried to offer no rewards since DD was born under this same presumption. However, we are extremely tempted (and occasionally give in) to offer rewards as it works insanely well.
Even better than rewards for DD? Competition. Is that horrible? She is so incredibly competitive that we go through the day competing with her to get her to do the things she needs to do. If we want her to go potty we just say "I need to go potty and I'm going first!" or "sissy is going to go before you!" she laughs and runs to be first. For reading she starts screaming, "Aaaahhh MOM, Giraffe (her stuffed animal) is READING!!!" then she speaks in a deep voice for Giraffe saying he has found a book and is going to read without her. She then lets out a horrific scream and runs and tries to find a book and read before her stuffed animal to which she expects me to assume the role of the deep-voiced mammal. If we are playing a board game, I play full-on and we seriously get into it. It's like this the. whole. day. I worry what I am instilling in her with all of this competition. She was the instigator of the competition but I still feel like I am encouraging it by taking advantage of her insane need to compete.
She attends a Montessori in the afternoons for a few hours each day and of course they are totally non-competitive... so who knows what happens there.
What are you're thoughts on this?
Feel free to be brutally honest... but also offer suggestions.
Is being extremely competitive a negative or positive trait?
