Consequences of Reward Systems

Implementing reward systems for potty training often leads to children gaming the system, where they may withhold or manipulate their potty behaviors to maximize rewards. This not only complicates the potty training process but can result in messy situations, including excessive reliance on materials like M&Ms or sticker charts that do not resonate with a toddler's developmental understanding. Parents may unintentionally create a situation where the focus shifts from the achievement of using the toilet to the accumulation of rewards, leading to scenarios that require intervention, such as family therapy. The overall message cautions against using rewards, instead promoting the idea that the satisfaction of mastering bodily autonomy should be its own reward.