The Best Rewards

Question: What are some rewards that may inspire my children to do homework and household chores? Will rewards work? – Puzzled

Answer: The purpose of giving rewards to a child is to get a task done. The end result you are seeking is for your child to move from receiving an extrinsic reward to realizing the intrinsic reward of valuing a task for the satisfaction of completing it. For example, getting their homework done well and turned in on time can produce the satisfaction of learning something new as well as getting good grades.

Rewards tend to work when a reward is something that is important to children. Parents need to think about what will entice their children to work for a reward. It can be helpful for parents and children to decide what an award will be for the successful completion of a task. For some children, a reward chart can work. Children can earn stars or tokens for completing certain tasks. When they have a certain number of stars or tokens, they can receive a predetermined reward. Other popular rewards are money, the promise of a fun activity and media time.

Caution: Choose rewards for only a few tasks that need to be improved. And be sure to lavish praise when children complete tasks.

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