[rabidgnat]

"I sure as hell don't remember being showered with praise or getting athletic trophies just for turning up"

I experienced a lot of that, but in retrospect my parents managed it pretty well by rewarding hard work. If I got a trophy for a bad sports season, they gave me the option to throw it out. I always did. When I was little, I earned an allowance by doing chores and yardwork. When I was in high school, I was expected to work in the yard if I didn't have a weekend job, so I was always working, but only sometimes getting paid. I was given cash rewards for quarterly grades through high school, but a B paid so much less than an A that it was more of an insult.

I came out the other end a little backwards: I dislike getting awards, and I feel uncomfortable if someone tells me I did a good job.

In the end, child development always comes down to parenting. If the child's environment isn't pushing them hard enough, they can do something about it