Is It A Bribe Or A Reward?

In our Incredible Years class last week we had a discussion about the definition of a bribe vs. reward. How do you define the two?

Carolyn, the founder, said that a bribe is something you offer before the work is done and a reward is given after the work is done.

Example of a Bribe: "You can have this candy if you promise to be good in the store." - parent hands candy over.

Example of a Reward: "If you can talk softly and walk in the library then I'll let you pick out a special movie to take home." - reward is only given if the child follows the simple instructions.

Rewarding your child for work done encourages positive behavior and should be used in conjunction with other positive parenting principles. They are working in our house and I love not feeling guilty about it since it is not a "bribe".