I’ve been reading about “positive parenting” this week and so
following advice that I should be praising good behaviour rather than
just reacting to bad behaviour I decided to try a reward chart.
My book said I should work with my child to establish a set of house
rules and a list of actions that can lead to hard earned reward stars,
like tidying up, sharing, not hitting your sister when you think no
one is looking, etc. Ten stars can then equal a bigger reward, like a
cartoon.
I wasn’t sure about how impressed my daughter would be with a mere
star, but she went for it hook line and sinker. And she’s racking
them up, especially when I could do with her watching TV so I can get
a minute’s peace and the scoring system seems to lapse slightly.
In fact it is working so well that after a bad day last week when I
seemed to spend half the morning losing my rag I decided to make one
for me.
I went online printed one off, deciding to go for the pirate theme,
although I haven’t coloured it in.
No shouting equals a glass of red come wine o’clock. Displays of
patience, more wine. Reacting calmly to annoying whinging earns me a
biscuit and housework is rewarded with chocolate.
The fact that I would probably have had a drink/eaten chocolate
regardless of my star count is beside the point. It still cheers me
up, thinking that I’ve earned it, rather than been driven to it
through stress. Sometimes I guess it’s the simple things…
Do you have any tips?
North East with Kids 