So as one of the lead researchers in this experiment I call fatherhood, it is important to try and find a way to properly motivate the subjects to finish the experiment and get the results desired. This is one of the many trial and error, correct mistake, retest portions of this experiment. DP was easy in this regard. As a gifted child, he wants, dare I say needs, to be the best. We do not have to motivate him. He is self motivated in every manner. He has other things we need to address, but this is not one. He believes in being the best and constantly wants to know how good he is at things. Lu is a little harder. She is 11 and has accepted her role as the only female subject with great pride and enthusiasm. Half the time, I am not sure if I am in trouble or if she is, based on how she interacts with me. Any way her main focus in life is being social. She loves to talk, interact with people, go do many exciting things, and in general re-live my freshman year in college. The last thing on her mind is completing her homework, cleaning her room, or any other routine thing that needs to be done which will take away from her social time. So with her, we have to motivate my restricting her social activities until we get the response we desire. Now Jr. This has been a hard nut to crack when it comes to motivation. I commonly say He just doesn't give a damn. He only likes trains, trucks, and construction equipment. I have tried to get him into sports; no interest. I have tried to bribe him to do stuff, no interest in most of them. When I help him with his homework, I feel like I am retaking differential equations. I get so frustrated and confused on what is going on. Most of the time SuperMom does it with him, so I know she has it worse. All that said, we have found his motivation. This came about because his school is having a fun run. Thirty five laps for donations, etc. You know the deal where the school makes you do more work to give them money. He wants to do it. I was recently telling a good friend of mind that I donated $0.25 per child per lap of his money for this event, and thus he will owe $17.50 later this week. He replied, there is no way Jr will run 35 laps, because I saw him at football practice and he wouldn't run 1 lap. So I thought about his statement and agreed. I told SuperMom that Jr won't run 35 laps so why does he want to do it so badly. Apparently, the principle has promised to eat a cricket if they reach some goal and Jr wants to see him eat a cricket.
So now I am deciding if I want to start enjoying the taste of crickets during homework time or continue to pull my hair out. I really think I might start eating crickets if it will get him through homework. I just hope I don't grow gills and start doing the fish lips all of the time.
So now I am deciding if I want to start enjoying the taste of crickets during homework time or continue to pull my hair out. I really think I might start eating crickets if it will get him through homework. I just hope I don't grow gills and start doing the fish lips all of the time.