How do you reward your kids?

Question

Do you bribe your kids or reward them? That are the conditions? For those with older kids what are your thoughts?

Looking for answers from parents of kids of all ages.

Answer 1

I'm not a mother, but I have been teaching for the past 4 years and an additional 2 years in a dacare facility...so, I'm going to tell you what I think worked best for me...

2 year olds in daycare:  They needed to see the rewards...or eat them. So, the m&m when potties is a good suggestion...it needs to be immediate and praised.  Sticker charts work well and if they get so many you can take them somewhere or do something fun with them.

1st grade students:  I do feel that they did better being grouped as a whole class to begin the thought of teamwork and taking care of one another.  Constant praise is important...they looovvveee to hear it when you are happy with them...high fives, hugs, etc.  

6th grade students: ahh...hormones...I would say that rewards that are concrete are good for them.  They tend to need praise and rewards like the 2 year olds! :)  

**Praise Praise Praise....and Love Love Love** Those are the best!

I would never pay for chores though....that is something that is necessary for the home to run smoothly.  Part of their life being in the family...do you get paid for dishes?  That's my personal opinion.  

Answer 2

Yes, usually with praise especially when they use manners, are polite, caring, clean up after themselves etc.  We also reward them with surprises, like a trip to the movies or a small toy at the store.  Of course, we do those things just "because" as well.  We also have been known to "bribe" them with a really nice or highly sought after item for some goal they have been struggling with as extra incentive.

Answer 3

We try to keep rewards as natural and logical as possible.  We try to help the kids find their own reward in doing good things in life.  

When they are trying to create a new habit, we sometimes help them with a sticker chart with some kind of material reward at the end - a toy from the dollar store, a special treat, a hamster :-)  Kind of like most adults do, when trying to create a new habit - "If I stick to my diet for a week, I can have a piece of cake on Saturday night"

Answer 4

bribing yor kids is a bad idea. they need to learn the right thing to do because it is the right thing to do. not do things because they are going to get something for it. if you start bribing early, you will have teenagers that expect something for everything they do for you.  

Answer 5

My friend Charisma is 30 and she has three kids and she told me when they do what they're supposed to do such as talk respectfully, clean up their messes, rinse out their dishes, stuff like that she says, "Thank you for doing your best. That makes me very proud." When they do something out of the norm something that isn't required she usually takes them out for bowling or to dinner or bakes cupcakes for them. She doesn't bribe them ever though.

Answer 6

My daughter is nine. We have a reward system that includes both words of praise and a weekly allowance.  She gets $10 per week if she does her chores everyday.  

With my two year old, we pretty much just use praise.  although, I've started giving him one M&M when he goes on the potty.  It seems to work well.

Answer 7

well i have a 3,6,8,9 and this is what i do. they all have chores and each day when they are done they can watch some tv. if they did not do their chore then no tv. also i give them allowance, however i try to make it where they understand the concept of money. each day i write down if they did there "work/chores" then at the end of the week i give them a paycheck (fake of course) and they put it in there account. and as they spend they see the money going down or up if they save. they learn math like that too. anyway they think its cool that they have an account