Some of the best ways to parent is to offer your children a reward system, and one that you can readily stick to. It’s very easy to tell your kids that you’ll buy them a new video game if they get straight A’s, but what happens when they do it, and that video game is really expensive.
Regardless if you’re a stay at home parent or not, we all have to budget one way or another. So here are two ideas on a reward system that doesn’t cost a thing (or costs very little).
TV Tickets
My favorite. I keep a log for each child on how many “TV tickets” they have earned for the day. It’s very simple. Every time your child does something great, or does something you’ve asked them to do without complaining, or had great behavior, they are rewarded with a ½ hour TV ticket. They accumulate their TV tickets throughout the day, and that’s how much TV time they have that evening. You can roll over time to the next day or just have it on a day to day basis. They can also lose TV tickets, if need be, but generally it’s a reward system, so their earning something by doing their job – which is being a respectful, nice child.
Ice Cream Jar
Every time your child does something great or has good behavior, you stick a coin in your ice cream jar. This can be any jar, and the coins can range in denomination based on what your child did. Say a nickel for clearing their plate without being asked, and a quarter for doing something total over and above the call of duty. At the end of the week, count up the change and they get to spend it on ice cream or a few treats at the store. The better they behave, the more money they earn, which means the more they can spend.
What works for you?