Raising children can be difficult, yet rewarding. As your children grow, you want them to learn how to do things such as getting dressed all by themselves, using the potty on their own, and doing chores around the house. Because it can be tricky to get kids to want to do all of these things, setting up a reward system to get them motivated is a great idea. Here are some tips you can use to reward your children for achieving their goals.
Set Goals
Before you can reward your children, they need to have goals in place. Decide what behavior you want to see and set a goal that’s easily attainable. If you have young children, you might want to have goals for each time they do what you want them to. As your children get older, you can stretch out those goals to last over longer periods of time. You’ll want to transition them into achieving the behavior for a full day or a full week.
Track Their Effort
Don’t forget to track your children’s efforts! Visuals are great incentives for children, especially when it comes to working towards a long-term goal. If your child is just starting potty training, create a potty chart that stays in the bathroom. Then, each time your child uses the potty, they can add a sticker to their chart. Not only will this help your kids take responsibility for their goals, it’ll help you keep track of how well they’re doing.
Pick a Reward
After setting up a goal and tracking system, it’s time to figure out which reward your kids will work towards! The best thing you can do is talk to your kids and figure out a reward that they’ll be excited about. Rewards can be anything, from a day of no chores to a trip to a favorite play place. You can also reward your kids with a toy, a movie date, or by letting them pick dinner for the night.
Follow Through
If you’ve gone through the trouble of getting your kids excited about a reward, it’s important that you follow through with your promises. Give your kids their desired reward as soon as they achieve their goal so that they can have instant gratification for their efforts. If you forget to reward them or forget to make rewards a big deal, then your reward system could lose its effect on their excitement.
In Conclusion
When it comes to raising kids, rewards can be a great way to get them motivated. By setting up goals, tracking their progress, and picking the right reward, you can help your children learn how to do things such as potty training and doing chores around the house. Just remember to follow through with your promises so that your kids know that their efforts are being appreciated.
