Hey everyone, I’m looking for ideas on rewarding my kids without just giving them money or buying them stuff. What non-monetary rewards have you found to be really effective? I want to encourage good behavior and achievements, but I don’t want to always rely on material things. Any suggestions from your experiences would be great. Thanks!
Non-monetary rewards can be tricky, but they’re worth figuring out. With my kids, I found that letting them choose a friend to invite for a sleepover was a big hit. It didn’t cost much, but it felt special to them.
Another thing that worked well was giving them control over the TV remote for a whole evening. It sounds simple, but they loved it. As they got older, extra time to hang out with friends became a powerful motivator.
One unexpected reward that my daughter really liked was getting to redecorate her room. We set a small budget, but she got to pick everything. It gave her a sense of ownership.
Remember, what works can change as they grow. My son used to love helping me cook as a reward, but now he’s more into earning extra driving practice time. The key is to keep talking with them about what they value. 
I’ve been trying to figure this out too with my 5-year-old. We started a sticker chart for completing tasks, but I’m not sure if it’s really motivating. Sometimes I let them choose a special activity instead, like extra park time or picking our weekend plans. It’s hard to know what rewards will stick.
What kinds of non-monetary rewards have worked well for older kids? I’m curious how parents keep things fresh as children grow. Do you find you need to change up the rewards often to keep them interesting?
Extra screen time works well for my 12-year-old. My 9-year-old loves choosing the weekend activity.
Letting them pick dinner or have a friend over is also popular. I try to focus on experiences rather than things.
It changes as they grow, so I adjust rewards based on their current interests.
We’ve had great results with special time and privileges as rewards. Our kids love getting to stay up 15 minutes later or having a one-on-one movie night with a parent.
For my 10-year-old, earning extra screen time is a big motivator. The 7-year-old gets excited about picking the dinner menu or having a friend over.
I’ve noticed that experiences and quality time mean more to them than things. They really value getting to choose a family outing or having undivided attention for a fun activity.
It’s helped to involve them in brainstorming reward ideas too. They come up with creative options I wouldn’t have thought of, and it makes them more invested in the process.
I’ve been experimenting with a chore chart for my 11-year-old. We turn it into a game where tasks earn points. At the end of the week, points can be traded for fun activities.
My kid loves choosing a special outing or getting extra time for a favorite hobby. Sometimes it’s as simple as picking the movie for family night or inviting a friend over.
I find rotating the rewards helps keep things interesting. It’s an ongoing process of finding what motivates them as they grow and change.