The purpose of a contract is to provide an agreement which clearly specifies the behavior expected and the rewards that can be earned. It is written in simple language (or pictures for small children), is displayed publicly, and helps the parties involved remember the terms of the agreement. Often such an agreement is posted somewhere [...]

Just as parents socially reward children, children socially reward us as parents: by doing what is asked of them having a generally cheerful disposition, smiling and laughing, acting excited and happy when they see us, showing affection, and imitating our behavior – in short, by making us feel needed and loved.
As children grow into [...]

What kinds of material rewards do you value? The list might include a nice home, clothes, jewelry, cars, perfume, and boats – just about anything money will buy! Of course children have their prized rewards too: sweets, biscuits, dolls, toys. Material rewards (as we use the term) are tangible objects that have some economic value.
There [...]

This principle is probably no great surprise to anyone, yet parents sometimes forget that very alert eyes and ears arc frequently tuned to them. Through the modeling process a child learns values, attitudes, gestures, vocabulary – and had habits. Consider the simple ritual of eating. If a child spends an average of an hour a [...]

Indeed, a divorce may cause adjustment problems for people working out a new lifestyle, but the chances arc David pesters his mother because she accidentally rewards him, even though she wants him to stop. Her looks, touches, scolds, and even smacks arc still attention to David. To help him through the divorce adjustment, his mother [...]