There’s a hot social media trend called gamification: trying to turn things into games so people act in certain ways. Like you give people meaningless badges to keep using your app/site while you serve ads or collect their data.
Totally works on kids.
Case in point. Tonight, Besh finished dinner early and went upstairs to use the bathroom. Nonni (grandma) was with us tonight and still finishing dinner when we heard from upstairs
“Noooooooooonnnnniiiiiiiii!”
I walked to the balcony so he could hear me.
“Besh, are you calling Nonni to wipe your body?” (he knows that’s not allowed)
Long pause.
“Noooo….”
“Why don’t you put on pajamas and come down?”
“But I want Nonni!”
“So put on your pajamas and come down!”
“I want Nonni!”
Seeing where this was going, I gamified.
“Okay, let’s see who sounds angriest. You go first.”
Pause.
“What?”
“I want to see who sounds angriest. You go first and say you want Nonni. But be ANGRY!”
“I want Nonni!”
“Angrier!”
“I want NONNI!”
“ANGRIER!”
“I WANT NONNI!”
But now he’s laughing.
“Okay, you win!”
“I win?”
“Yes!”
“What do I win?”
“Nonni!”
“I won Nonni?”
“Just put on your pajamas and come down to get your prize!”
“Okay!”
He put on his pajamas, occasionally yelling how he wanted Nonni but then laughing hysterically.
Gamification. Use it.
