I’ve been thinking about using a sticker chart to teach my 6-year-old some responsibility around the house. Has anyone tried this before? Does it actually work or is it just a short-term thing? I’m curious if kids really learn long-term habits from these rewards or if they just do things for the stickers. Any experiences or thoughts would be helpful!
I tried sticker charts with my kids when they were younger. They were fun at first, but the excitement wore off pretty quickly. What worked better for us was tying chores to their allowance or screen time.
For my 6-year-old, we made a simple chart with pictures of tasks like making the bed or putting away toys. Each task was worth a small amount of money or extra TV time. It took a while, but eventually doing those things became a habit.
The key was being consistent and patient. Some weeks it felt like pulling teeth to get them to do anything! But we stuck with it, and now my teenagers do most of their chores without being asked. 
Every kid is different though. You might need to try a few different approaches before finding what clicks for your family.
Sticker charts worked okay for us short-term. Kids got excited at first, but interest faded after a few weeks.
We had better luck with simple routines and praise. Took longer, but seemed to stick better in the long run.
I’ve tried sticker charts with my 5-year-old. They worked for a bit, but my kid lost interest pretty fast. Now I’m trying to make chores part of our daily routine.
I’m curious about other parents’ experiences. Did you find any ways to keep the excitement going with sticker charts? Or did you switch to something else that worked better in the long run?
Right now, we’re experimenting with a points system where my child can earn screen time. It’s going okay, but I’m not sure if it’s teaching real responsibility or just creating a transactional mindset. How do you balance rewards with instilling a sense of contribution to the family?
I’ve been experimenting with making chores more engaging for my 11-year-old. We recently turned cleaning into a timed challenge. My kid tries to beat their previous record while tidying up.
It’s not perfect, but it’s more fun than a basic chore list. Sometimes we add music or silly voices to mix things up. The tasks still get done, and there’s less complaining.
I’m always looking for new ideas though. It’s tricky finding that balance between teaching responsibility and keeping things lighthearted. What’s working for other parents these days?
We’ve had some success with a mix of small rewards and making responsibility feel good.
For our kids, we started with a simple chart showing daily tasks. At first, they got stickers, but we noticed the excitement faded quickly.
Now we focus more on how completing tasks makes them feel. We talk about how nice it is to have a tidy room or how helping with dishes shows they’re growing up.
We still use small rewards sometimes, like extra playtime or picking a movie. But we try to keep the focus on feeling proud of their efforts.
It’s been a slow process, but we’re seeing our kids take on more tasks without prompting. They seem to enjoy feeling like they’re contributing to the family.