Even the most well-behaved kids sometimes need a little encouragement to be polite, respectful, and obedient.
If you’re looking for some ways to really make a positive impact on your child’s behavior, child reward systems are a great approach.
Rewarding your kid for good behavior is a brilliant way to reinforce positive habits. Child reward systems will also give your little one something to work towards, keeping them motivated and on their way to being the best-behaved kid on the block.
What is a child reward system?
Essentially, a child reward system uses incentives to encourage good behavior.
Those incentives can be stickers, tokens, extended bed-times, more TV time, or anything else that your child will want to work towards.
If you’re struggling to motivate your kid to do their chores, be kind to their siblings, or do their homework on time, both you and your child will benefit from a child reward system.
Child reward systems are effective for any age group — you just need to find one that works for your family.
Child reward system ideas for young kids
Your toddler or preschooler will really benefit from an effective child reward system. For kids this age, a reward system doesn’t need to be complicated. Young children will respond very well, to very simple incentives.
Sticker charts
Sticker charts are a fantastic idea for this age group. They’re also super easy and cheap to make (bonus!).
The idea is that your kid will earn a sticker every time they model positive behavior.
You might want to reward behaviors like using the toilet, staying in their own bed for the whole night, or something else entirely. Focus on the behaviors that your child struggles with, as every kid is different.
It’s also a good idea to choose one behavior that your child is already great at. This will help them to earn their initial stickers and understand how the chart works, while motivating them to engage with the reward chart.
Stamp books
Young kids love collecting stickers, right? So why not use this passion as a reward?
There are loads of colorful, child-friendly stamps and ink available online — and they’re easy to get ahold of. Use a cheap notepad or scrapbook, and let your little one do the stamping as they progress.
Looking back at their collection, the two of you can reflect on what they did so well to achieve them.
Child reward system ideas for middle schoolers
Middle school kids may see themselves as “too grown-up” for stamps or stickers, so make their reward system a bit more exciting.
Sticker charts can be replaced by tokens, marbles, or anything else that you can physically exchange with your child for their good behavior.
At this age, it’s also a good idea to add a bigger incentive. As kids get older, tokens or marbles alone won’t be enough to encourage positive habits. More TV time, candy, or a trip to the amusement park are all great incentives for middle schoolers.
Before you introduce your reward system, think about the behavior that you want to encourage in your kid. Now that they’re a bit older, you may want to reward things like doing their chores, or offering to help without being asked to do so. You can even foster a love of self-study by having them download a worksheet pack daily on a topic that interests them and complete it without being asked.
Here are some of our favorite child reward systems for middle schoolers:
Count the tokens
Purchase some cheap plastic tokens online — or use some from a board game you already have — and award your kid with a token each time they model positive behaviors. Explain that once they have collected 10 tokens, they’ll receive a reward.
Bonus tip: give your child the responsibility of keeping count of the tokens they receive. This will keep them engaged in the reward system while incentivizing them to keep going.
Marble jar
You’ll need an empty jam jar for this reward system. And you might want to label the jar with your child’s name or initials, to make it a bit more personal.
Each time your child completes a chore does their homework on time, helps without being asked, or says a kind thing to a family member, reward them with a marble. They can then add the marble to their jar themselves.
The aim of this reward system is for your kid to fill their jar with marbles. Once the jar is full, you can reward them for all their hard work.
You want the reward to be a real incentive for your kid, so make sure it’s something that they’ll love! It’s best to decide this with your child ahead of time — then, they know what they’re working towards.
Child reward systems for high schoolers
Your high school kid is all grown up, but they’re not too old for an effective child reward system.
While your high schooler might not be very interested in stickers or marbles anymore, there are still ways you can promote positive behavior at home — yes, even when they’re full of teenage hormones.
Hanging out with friends
Your kid wants to spend most of their weekend hanging out with their friends — doesn’t every high schooler?
But they’ve still got other responsibilities.
Whether this consists of chores around the house, an ever-increasing amount of homework, or looking after their younger siblings, there are surely things that need to be done before they meet up with their buddies.
So, use their weekend plans as their reward.
A high schooler who understands that fulfilling their responsibilities at home means that they can enjoy their weekend will be more likely to stick to your rules.
And this works well with behavior, too. A week without slamming the bedroom door equals weekend freedom!
Ready to promote positive behavior habits at home?
Child reward systems can be cheap, fun, and so simple — so why not give them a go?
Try these out and see what works best for your family.
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