Don’t Be Afraid to Reward a Child For Good Behavior

I know a lot of “child experts” say not to give material rewards to children for good behavior. I do believe in rewarding children and here is why...As an adult, how do you function? When you do your job and do it well, you expect a pay raise, a bonus or a promotion. You want your boss to say “Hey, good job!” Why can’t we teach that to our children? When you follow the rules and do a good job, there is a reward at the end.

I don’t believe in rewarding on an individual accomplishment basis, but when they do a good job throughout the day or throughout the week, be willing to reward them and tell them “Hey, good job!”

I had a daycare mom who took her son to the toy store every day after daycare if I told her he was good that day. He didn’t get just a matchbox car or a tub of Playdough, he got large, rather expensive toys every day. That’s extreme and that will end up backfiring on her. But a trip to the toy store once a month for good behavior may be more appropriate for the task.

When you give your child a reward, be sure they know it’s a reward. For instance, it won’t necessarily be a purchased item from a store. So if you planned a special weekend trip because the kids have been so good or so responsible, make sure they know that’s why their going on the trip.