The Special Plate

"The bond that links your true family

is not one of blood, but of respect and

joy in each others' life"-Richard Bach

While growing up in my home my family had a tradition called, "The special plate". Whenever someone in the family had an accomplishment or it was their birthday they were allowed to eat on the plate. It was also given to friends and guests when they visited our house. The plate was so "special" because it meant that for an entire meal you were celebrated, honored, and most importantly, you received the most attention. As I got older, I became less competitive over the plate and enjoyed seeing other's use and delight in it.

The other day for some reason or another I began thinking about the "special plate". I was remembering how much my family and I had loved this tradition. This led me to think about the plate on a deeper level. What is it that made the "special plate" so special? All of a sudden the words, "positive reinforcement" flashed before me.

B.F. Skinner was a researcher who developed several major theoretical constructs of reinforcement and behaviorism; one of these being, positive reinforcement. It is defined as, "an increase in the future frequency of a behavior due to the addition of a stimulus immediately following a response." Skinner found that positive reinforcement was a better way of altering behaviors than punishment.

The "special plate" was special because it rewarded and celebrated my families life's and their accomplishments, which conditioned us to work hard in order to receive it again in the future.

Regardless of your age or family size, the "special plate" is a wonderful tradition that will become a beloved ritual that truly brings joy to you and all those around you!

The "Special plate"as we call it, is actually called "You are special today" by the company, Waechtersbach. These plate's are made in Germany and are available in a cherry red color. The best part of all is that they are dishwasher safe (we both know how much I love dish washing)!

I did some research on the plate to find the best price for it. The plate is typically $37 retail however, I found it for $28.86 at the website http://www.thechurchmousemall.com/.

I hope you have a great week and remember,"you are special today"!

Love, Lili