I’ve been trying to help my kids develop better habits, especially when it comes to sticking with tasks that are challenging. I’ve heard some people say using rewards can work well for this, but I’m not sure. Has anyone tried using rewards to teach their kids perseverance? Did it actually help them form good habits in the long run? Just looking for some real-world experiences and thoughts on this approach. Thanks!
In our house, we’ve had some success with a mix of small rewards and lots of encouragement for sticking with tough tasks. Our kids have star charts for things like practicing piano or finishing homework without complaining.
They get excited about earning stars, but I think what really helps is how we celebrate their effort. We talk about how great it feels to work hard and improve. Over time, they’ve started to take pride in pushing through challenges on their own.
It’s not perfect - some days are still a struggle. But overall, I’ve noticed they’re more willing to try difficult things and keep going when it’s not easy. The key seems to be making the process itself feel rewarding, not just the end result.
I’ve experimented with rewards for my kid, but found they lost their appeal pretty quickly. What’s worked better for us is turning chores into little challenges. Like timing how fast we can put away laundry or seeing who can find the most dust bunnies while vacuuming.
My kid gets excited about ‘winning’ these mini-games, and it makes the tasks feel less like work. We still have our off days, but overall this approach has helped build some good habits without relying on external rewards. It’s made chore time a bit more fun for both of us too.
I’ve been wondering about this too. My 5-year-old gets really excited about rewards at first, but then loses interest fast. We tried a sticker chart for cleaning up toys, and it worked great for a week. Then he stopped caring about the stickers.
Now I’m trying to make tasks into games, like racing to put away toys before a timer goes off. It’s working okay, but some days are still a struggle. I’m curious how other parents keep the motivation going long-term.
Has anyone found ways to make the tasks themselves feel rewarding? Or do kids this age just need constant new incentives to stay interested?
Tried rewards for a while. Worked okay short-term, but didn’t stick. My kids lost interest after a few weeks. Found better results with setting small, achievable goals. They felt good completing them on their own.
I remember those days of trying to teach perseverance. With my older kid, we started with a reward system for tough tasks. It worked for a bit, but then she started expecting rewards for everything.
We shifted gears and focused more on praising her effort. I’d point out how she improved each time she practiced. That seemed to click better. She started taking on challenges just to prove she could do it.
My younger one responded differently. He liked seeing his progress tracked visually. We used a chart where he could color in squares for each day he stuck with a task. Seeing that chart fill up really motivated him.
What worked best was letting them choose their own goals sometimes. When they picked something they cared about, they were way more likely to keep at it. It took time, but both kids eventually developed more grit. Every child is different though. You might need to try a few approaches to see what clicks. 