The Problem with Winning in Youth Wrestling

Yesterday, I listed “winning” as one of the values that demotivate children in my article on how to help kids become self-motivated. Obviously, there is nothing inherently wrong with winning. The problem comes from parents and coaches who over value winning. For example, in youth wrestling I have personally witnessed parents and coaches who demotivate […]

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The First Step to Help Your Kids Become Self-Motivated

I write often about why parents should be careful about using extrinsic motivation shortcuts over developing intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is essentially self-motivation, while extrinsic motivation comes from carrot and stick bribes, rewards, and punishments. Research shows that self-motivated kids are happier and healthier than those who are motivated by carrot and stick tactics. I […]

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Parents Beware of Using Carrot and Stick When Building Good Habits in Children

Two days ago I shared what I learned about building good habits. Writing 180 daily blog post in a row helped me learn that good habits form when you totally immerse yourself into an activity. I received some great feedback on what I wrote, and I stand by my observations 100%. However, in that blog […]

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