One thing that used to drive me a little squirrelly when the kids were wee was other parents praising and rewarding their children for things the children needed to do. “Yay!  Good eating!”, “You get to have this candy for such a good pee!”, ” Good job putting your snowsuit on so we can go out into these sub-arctic temperatures!  Here’s a sticker for your sticker book!!!”.  You eat because you die if you don’t.  You pee because you have no choice.  You put weather appropriate clothing on because the world is a better place if you are comfortable.  The kids and I would joke about ‘sticker and juice box’ rewards.

Today, I paid my mobile phone bill.  It is due in a couple of days.  It is a service I have temporarily signed up for.  I have an agreement with the company about the fee for the service provided.  If I don’t pay it on time they charge me extra. That is plenty of incentive to have me pay in a punctual fashion.  Once I make a payment a ‘thanks’ is nice, but not necessary. Today was my first mobile phone payment.  When I had completed the transaction I got a ‘successful’, a ‘nice…’, and a ‘good job’. Praise for something that I am contractually obligated to do and if I don’t do it the consequence is unpleasant.  I am not rescuing puppies, I am paying a bill.  Save the ‘Good job’, so when it is said it has value, substance, and pride attached to it and comes from someone who’s opinion matters. The careless throwing around of unnecessary praise from a corporation that I am a number to is empty and condescending. Grr.