" Bride is a loaded word, implying something illegal or designed to make someone do something against his or her will. What we are talking about is a positive consequence that, if you like loaded words, could as well be called a reward. By providing a positive consequence, you increase the probablity that behavior will occur. When a mother says to her child, 'If you pick up your clothes for a week, I'll take you to a movie,' is is not bribery. It is the offer of an incentive (a consequence desired by the child) in return for performance desired by the mother."
But there's a difference between natural consequences and imposed consequences. This paragraph describes imposed consequences, that really have nothing to do with picking up clothes. Having a clean floor and getting clothes in the laundry are the natural consequences of picking up clothes. Those are *desirable* consequences. I think children want the same things adults want, in their time, so I don't believe in imposed or extrinsic consequences.

There's another good book called "Punished by Rewards" by Alfie Kohn, which is about the problem with gold stars for good behavior, etc.

My ideas about this are radical and unimaginable to some people. Some of you will want to argue with me, but I probably won't. I'm just happy to be able to post the book titles, say that there is another way to look at this, and leave it at that.

Karen