I read this once before recently, and agree with the idea that praise is overused at times.

I will say for the record, though, that I am with full knowledge going to continue manipulating my particular little group with praise! It's all I've got, man!

I understand all about intrinsic motivation. But, I have no problem at all with children WANTING to please the adults around them. I believe that there is a hierarchy here, and that is the way it should be. My children (dc or otherwise) are my emotional equal, meaning they have the right to their feelings and thoughts. But I have 45 years of experience on the lot of them, so they are not my "equals" in every way. I will use whatever "tools" I have to teach them acceptable behavior until they are able to understand on their own.

Toddlers don't have an innate sense of right and wrong; they need to be taught it. Somewhere along the line, they internalize those messages, and no longer need be "manipulated", as Alfie suggests.

Sorry, Cystal, maybe I am taking the tone of the article the wrong way???

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