There are times when you want to be nice and give someone you care about a gift. You could even call it a reward for performance if you want them to act a certain way. What if you want them to drive a certain way could the same principle apply? You bet it could. When I wanted my young niece to stop talking on her cell phone as she was driving the deal was no phone and I would pay one month of her auto insurance premium. I would call her during peak times and if she answered her phone then I knew she was in her car. I blocked my number so she would not know who it was and never called at the same time. Of course the first two months she blew it and then the third month she came to me and “Auntie M pay up please”.
After three months, we changed the rules and now it was not speed with the same reward. It took a while but she finally caught on and realized she was getting to her destiny just as fast even when she took the time to slow down. She was not being stopped as much even though the officers were letting her go with warnings and she was leaving earlier to allow time to get to places where she needed to be. It was behavior modification at its finest. Six months later she came to me and said “Auntie M pay up please”. I was happy to pay her auto insurance this month. Then she asked what next? So, I had to think of something interesting that was worthwhile for her to do.
Performance gets Rewards
My deal this time was to have her volunteer at a driving school for two months and I would pay the third month's premium for her. This was so she would see the films covering the accidents more than once on young drivers. She would also hear the lectures of the chances young adults take and the statistics on accidents that are caused due to careless driving. Besides, young adults should learn to volunteer their time, if they do not already. Volunteer work is not always boring and sometimes it is a good way to gain experience or to try things to see if you like it. At the end of the two months you should already know the routine and yes, she showed up except this time she said “thank you” instead of saying “Auntie M pay up please”.
When I told her I already had her money ready she said to keep it. The experience was worth it. In fact, she was ready to turn eighteen and had worked out a deal with the driving school to continue volunteering her time in exchange for teaching the driving class one night a week. She felt she could give a lot to the class and they enjoyed having her there as a role model for the younger drivers. She found her way all because she initially started out by being rewarded for her performance. This was a story she often told to. As the classes continue and the certificates of completion were being signed she would remind them to provide a copy to their auto insurance company so they could get a discount.
As she was visiting me, her niece had come in all excited and wanted to show her she had just received her license and was going to meet her friends that night at the mall and could not wait. After the movies they were going to the ice cream shop to hang out. My niece smiles and sweetly said to her niece “I've got a deal for you if you are interested”? Would you like me to play one month of your auto insurance premium? If you would, here is what you have to do to earn it. It will be a reward for your performance. If you learn to do this stuff now not only will you never have to worry about speeding tickets or being stopped by the police whenever you are on the road. Best of all you will become a better and safer driver too for yourself and everyone else on the road with you.
Someone did it for me she said as she smiled and looked at her Aunt and it was a lesson I will never forget even at your age. In the meantime, she then asked her young niece the next question. When will you be able to volunteer a couple of hours a week at my new driving school?