Motivation is Key

Jack has figured out crawling, if and only if it is in pursuit of something he desires....Like Goldfish Crackers or Cheerios!

As I am getting to know this sweet boy each day, I am finding out that he and his daddy have many things in common. One such area seems to be the way they are motivated. Jack is motivated to get things he desires and he is motivated by praise and recognition. As we have practiced crawling (which is not required, nor is it even a developmental step according to our family doctor...as a matter of fact, many children skip this step altogether and are just fine!) to promote gaining upper body strength, I figured out that to motivate him to move - I can't just put any old toy in front of him. I need to dangle some sort of "carrot" that he really truly wants! As you may already know, Jack LOVES food. He eats and eats and eats. He loves food, even if he has just finished his meal. So, naturally - Goldfish Crackers or Cheerios on the floor have motivated him enough to squish those chubby legs up underneath him and get up onto his forearms to move.

Recognition and praise are more key motivators of Jack's. He gains confidence in the task he is doing if he is being built up and praised for his efforts. As we continue to practice walking, the more his is clapped for and told "Yea! Great Job!" the more and more he wants to practice. He starts out shaky, but continues to get better and better with more praise...that is until he gets tired! :)

God has been good to us. We are so thankful for Jack. We are thankful for the insight the Lord provides us into our baby boy's motivational patterns. Observing these things will definitely help us develop strategies to continue to motivate him towards what is right!