@bookwyrm ….here we are, and most of us work within the reward pellet economy. (Hmm, that might be a good article title.) Learning how to work within that structure feels like a key life skill.

so, how do we teach kids to create or work with reward structures in some contexts, without commoditizing relationships, sapping intrinsic motivation or treating them like trained seals?

in our house this is an ethical, relational and practical question we come back to over and over.

@bookwyrm and this is where it gets tricky! because having started as anti-behaviorism in all forms I have come to see that many (most? all?) humans use behaviorist strategies all the time, with ourselves and others, and that is not necessarily a problem. (Bear with me?)

For example I would argue that salary/pay is fundamentally a behavioral strategy: Do your job, get your reward pellet.

Now I am down for an argument about the fundamental pathology of capitalism BUT….

@sparkes One thing I have learned from the #actuallyautistic community is not to take offense at people being super direct!

I just wish I could apply that to how I react to my mom’s super directness. She still pushes my buttons….but then, she MADE my buttons.