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Tip 5: Promoting good behaviour
Being smart about how you use rewards can really encourage children to behave better and help them to follow agreed house rules.
- Consequences influence behaviour – if someone gives us something we like, such as a reward when we behave in a certain way, then we are more likely to behave in that way again.
- Parents can use rewards in this way to improve their children’s behaviour.
- To do this, parents should be –
- relevant – give rewards that the child really values – agree what these are with your child.
- realistic – don’t give rewards that are too large or disruptive to the rest of the household.
- fair – use similar reward systems for the different children in your family.
- selective – only give rewards when your child behaves in the way you are trying to encourage.
- consistent – always give rewards when the behaviour you’re trying to encourage happens.
- clear – make sure your child understands what you are rewarding.
- timely – give the reward as soon after the behaviour you are trying to encourage happens.
- “as good as their word” – always follow through on a reward that you promise.
- Rewards can be used to encourage effort – so that you encourage trying to follow the rules as well as succeeding.
- Parents should work together as a team – so that both parents (if there are two) are using the same reward system in the same way.
- It can be very motivating if rewards are recorded on a chart which is displayed publicly.
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