It was a big weekend at our house.  Besides the 4th of July holiday, Maggie received a very special present – a ‘big kid’ bike!  And not just any bike….it’s a princess bike.  Maggie is in heaven!

In order to earn the bike, she had to reach a few goals and it was a great motivation for her. She couldn’t be more proud and excited about her new wheels.

Setting Goals or A Bribe?

We’ve been struggling for months with getting Maggie to wear ‘big kid’ underwear overnight with no accidents.  We’ve tried everything – bed mats, pull-ups and while they all worked for us – we’ve still had the occasional accidents.

Plus, each night about 3 a.m., she always wakes up and makes her way to our room to sleep in our bed.  No one has been sleeping well and it’s made our ‘big kid’ underwear transition even more difficult.

So, we decided to give her a goal and a reward for meeting that goal. If she could sleep in her own bed, all night with no accidents for five nights in a row – she could have the princess bike she’s been eyeing at the store.

We thought for sure that it would take awhile to break her of the bad habits and that we had some time before the bike came home with us.  But, imagine our surprise – this past week she did it without even missing a night!  She did it – five nights in a row!

It was such a great day on Friday to see her little eyes light up over her new princess bike.  It didn’t take her long to get used to the training wheels – she was cruising around the driveway in no time!

Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts on giving toddlers goals and rewarding them with items?  Do you consider it bribing? Honestly, part of me kind of does – but she understands that there are goals and when you meet those goals, you get rewards.

I’m guessing it’s probably a hot topic for parents..

Are goals/rewards for toddlers considering bribing?