I’ve been struggling with my kid’s behavior lately and I’m thinking about trying a reward system. Has anyone had success with this? What kind of system worked best for you? I’m open to any ideas - sticker charts, point systems, whatever. Just looking for something that actually motivates them to behave better. Thanks!
I’ve been trying different things with my 5-year-old. We started a sticker chart for basic stuff like cleaning up toys. It worked great at first, but now the novelty’s wearing off.
I’m curious about point systems. How do you decide what’s worth points? And do you ever worry about your kid only doing things for the reward?
We’re still figuring it out. Yesterday, my little one helped unload the dishwasher without being asked. It was such a nice surprise! But then refused to put on shoes this morning. Parenting is a rollercoaster, isn’t it?
Anyone else dealing with the ups and downs of teaching responsibility? What’s working for you lately?
In our home, we’ve found success with a customizable reward chart. The kids help choose tasks and rewards, which makes them more invested. They earn stars for things like putting away toys or being kind to each other.
We keep a mix of daily tasks and bonus challenges to keep it interesting. The rewards are usually small, like extra screen time or picking dinner. But sometimes we save up for bigger family activities.
What’s really cool is seeing how proud they get when they earn stars. My youngest gets so excited to show off his chart. It’s less about the rewards now and more about feeling accomplished.
It’s not perfect - we still have tough days. But overall, it’s helped create more positive interactions and taught them about setting goals. Every family is different, so it might take some tweaking to find what works for you.
We’ve had some success with a simple points system in our house. My kid earns points for completing chores, homework, and good behavior. They can then spend those points on small rewards or save up for bigger ones.
It’s not perfect, but it’s helped create some positive habits. The key for us was keeping it flexible and letting my child have input on the rewards. That way it feels more like a fun game than a rigid system of rules.
We tried a marble jar. Kids got marbles for good behavior. Full jar meant a fun family activity.
Simple, visual, and worked for both ages. They liked seeing progress. We’d discuss why they earned marbles.
Not perfect, but helped. Kids started noticing and encouraging each other’s good choices too.
Hey Dan, I totally get that rollercoaster feeling! With my kids, I found that mixing things up helped keep the motivation fresh. We tried a ‘chore jar’ where they’d pick a task and get a small reward. It worked well for a while.
For points, we kept it simple. Easy tasks were worth less, tougher ones more. But you’re right to wonder about only doing things for rewards. We gradually reduced the rewards and focused on praising effort instead.
Your little one helping with the dishwasher is awesome! Those moments are gold. For the shoe struggles, we turned it into a race against the clock. “Can you get your shoes on before I count to 20?” It usually worked.
What works changes as they grow. Keep experimenting and celebrate the wins, big and small. You’re doing great! 