Rewarding Children-When And How?
Rewarding children is a wonderful parenting bait. As it motivates and encourages kids further. After all, we all seek some entitlement, and kids are no different.
Rewarding no doubt is a cool way to keep the kids on the track of self-improvement and motivation. But it’s an art. If you are not rewarding your child properly in the right manner. You may end up making him defiant or too pampered.
You should understand when and how the reward system should trigger. For the right development of your child’s personality and mental attitude.
So let’s move further and understand what’s there in rewarding that you should know.
How Rewarding Children Helps
Many times, unknowingly we encourage and motivate children through our actions, words or gifts. Which do fall into the definition of rewarding. But by better understanding the psychology behind it we can effectively use these for positive development.
Rewards can be either in tangible or intangible form. Tangible can include anything presented to kids as gifts or presents such as toys. Similarly, intangible rewards are praise in form of words, actions, or gestures.
Both, when used effectively, foster positive self-esteem in children conducive for better growth and development.
Let’s understand some of the benefits you can reap by rewarding your children
1. Encouragement To Do Better
The children are motivated by the reward system. We adults like attention so do they. With the absence of the right attention or ignorance from parents. They are going to drop their good habits. And to make it worse they will be less inclined to do better in the future.
Because they didn’t get the attention they were seeking in the first place. If they are rightly noticed and praised they will not only continue the good habits. But will be further motivated to improve in other places as well.
2. Positive Personality Development
We all know that habits come in the form of cohorts, one good habit breeds another. And so the opposite.
When children are rightly encouraged at one step they strive to take more steps following the same path. This ultimately cultivates in their personality an attitude full of virtues, adding to their self-esteem and confidence. Here you may also like reading A Guide On Happy Child Growth
3. Diminishes Their Negative Attitude
We already know that much of the behavioral problems in children stem from the fact that they lack the attention and care which they seek. With affection and love, we can curtail much of the behavioral problems. Before they set any foundation in kid’s personalities.
Perhaps the reason that we often see notorious criminals with a background of ignorance and deprivation from their families.
4. Positive Decision Making
Decision making is a personality trait that is not developed overnight. But manifests in a child’s attitude through the right upbringing. One of the significant factors in the process of upbringing is positive reinforcement and self-encouragement.
Children who are brought up in this way tend to have solid values and a concrete mechanism of distinguishing between right and wrong. They are likely to have stronger emotional intelligence and decision power.
Rewarding Children — The Right Way
Now that we have understood how important rewarding is for the growth and development of children let’s then read how we can make the most out of it.
Before we embark on the journey of learning the when’s and how’s of the rewarding system. Please bear in mind that praise and rewards can be one of the profound ways to tackle the behavioral issues in kids. And to add further this method delivers quick results, so make sure that you get the most out of it.
Below we will discuss some of the simple yet effective ways by which you can reward your child.
1. Let Your Kids Have Their Say
Many times, we entangle things that are really simple in the first place. Like availing the chance of letting your kid have his say when you can. There can be no better way to show kids attention and love than to make them feel significant.
In instances such as meals, deciding the favorite picnic spot, buying clothes and similar stuff always make sure that you are keeping the communication channel open. This must be perhaps the most basic thing and many parents will not even consider it a reward. But trust us, this intangible action will instill in them a lot of self-confidence and a positive attitude.
2. Gestures Are Important, Use Them Wisely
Did you recently find your kid folding his clothes, cleaning up his closet, polishing his school shoes, completing the healthy snacks, or simply completing his school work on time?
And did you praise him by simple gestures such as a pat on the back, a smile, thumbs up, or a distant kiss? If yes then bravo, you already are aware of it.
Little things make up the entire universe for children and as parents, we should always strive to light up their universe by giving them our presence at every small step.
3. Encourage Their Efforts
So, are you disappointed by the final examination result of your kid only because you were expecting slightly higher marks? This is just one example. There can be a number of such instances. And not rewarding children when you were expecting any different outcome will further deter them from the path of improvement.
Yes, it does happen that our hopes often get some shock when results are not as expected but the absence of reward completely on these instances will do no better. No, we don’t mean to celebrate it equally there can be some compromise, but a partial reward should do the honors. Also read Rewarding Children-When And How?
4. Gifts According To Age
As kids surpass the developmental milestones their interests, preferences change and so it’s wise that we also modify our reward system in a way so that we not only give them the best but also the right thing. Tangible gifts such as presents and similar stuff are well suited for every occasion of any significance.
However, parents should make a conscious effort to pick up the gifts according to age which will be conducive to their growth and development.
5. Rewarding Multiple Behaviors
Often we see that parents create a certain benchmark such as performance in school, discipline at home, etc. for a reward. This no doubt is an effective approach especially knowing that kids have a reward seeking nature. But whilst employing these, parents often tend to ignore the small and tiny acts which need encouragement and motivation as well.
Make sure that your reward whatever it may be encompasses every little action.
6. Inclusion In Home Activities
There can be no better learning methodology for kids than letting them learn from experience, by inviting them in household activities such as gardening, cooking, repairing, and alike. Kids this way not only learn skills practically they also gain self-confidence and encouragement.
This may serve as a wonderful rewarding mechanism which parents may employ to recognize their little achievements or endorsement of their good manners.
This also is another wonderful way of rewarding your children which serves the purpose of engaging them with you in a meaningful way too. These days due to incessant usage of screens and online entertainment, the opportunities for spending quality family outdoors are diminishing. Children love this family time and learn from such opportunities.
7. A Family Day Out
Never let go of any opportunity when you can escort kids to any positive recreational place, which can be anything from museums, old heritages, camping, beaches, or even a visit to grandpa.
We would especially encourage parents to make use of this reward method more and more to give children a healthy positive break.
Engaging more often in these opportunities will also make them less inclined to engage in online media and gadgets thus preventing them from the hazards of increased screen usage.
Final Word On Rewarding Children
Rewards in any form whether tangible or intangible serve as the catalyst in the process of positive growth and development of kids. Kids learn to grow and improve more with positive reinforcement.
However, there can be some downsides of the reward mechanism if not utilized properly, resulting in making kids more defiant rather than well mannered. Often parents go too far away in praise and encouragement making kids pampered and stubborn.
Therefore we hope that you will find this guide helpful and it will enlighten further in creating a positive environment for the kids.
Originally published https://livingthefamilylife.com/rewarding-children/
