Daycare kids changed completely after I stopped using stickers

I run a small home daycare in Austin. For 2 years I used sticker charts for potty training. Last month I tossed them all after reading a blog post. Kids went from crying and hiding to actually asking to use the toilet. The pressure was making them freeze up. Without the reward, they just did it on their own. Has anyone else seen rewards backfire this badly with toddlers?

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jordang321mo ago

Gotta admit, I was all in on the sticker chart thing myself. My nephew was stuck on potty training for months and I thought the reward was the only thing keeping him motivated. Then my sister ditched the whole system and just let him go at his own pace, and honestly the kid stopped fighting it completely within a week. The pressure was coming from us, not him. Now I look back and kinda cringe at how we were basically bribing him to do something his body was ready for anyway.

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