Reinforcing good behavior
Positive attention and praise are the most effective rewards for good behavior, because they reinforce it on the spot and a child can make the connection between what you’re saying and what he’s just done.
Get creative – develop a chart based on something your child loves and make it together. If he loves drawing make a dot-to-dot chart, allowing one line to be drawn in for good behavior (or erased for bad behavior!). Or design a color-by-numbers chart where each of your kids has a color and a picture gradually emerges as the chart is filled in (this type of chart has the added bonus of encouraging sibling co-operation). And don’t forget to check out Supernanny’s great print-and-color reward charts.
Step 2: Decide on rewards
Mutually decide on the rewards your child will earn once he hits the targets on his chart. If you can, avoid candy… instead perhaps your child could earn a book or a trip to the movies with you. For younger children, a rewards box works well: just fill a cardboard box with inexpensive party favors he can fish out when he reaches his target.
Step 3: Use it!
Use the
reward chart to award stickers for good behavior, and when your child has collected enough stickers to get him to the top of the chart, you can reward him. When your child misbehaves, remove a sticker from the chart. Tell him why you are doing this, so he understands there are consequences for bad behavior.
Step 4: Tailor your chart
Now you’ve got the basics sorted out, think about ways you can make a reward chart more specific. For example, if morning mayhem is your main problem, use categories like ‘brushed teeth’, ‘dressed” and ‘made bed’ in a morning-themed reward chart or try our
Get Up and Go! chart. Give the kids a sticker for each activity they do on time, so you get out of the door feeling less stressed! Try the
placemat reward chart to encourage fussy eaters to eat a balanced meal.
Don’t feel daunted if these charts sound too much like hard work. Making them should be fun for you and the kids and the benefits of the reward system will become immediately apparent as soon as you start using them. Remember to get your chart laminated so that you can re-use it and peel the stickers off as well as put them on!