Because we all know that you do it … don’t lie! How to use rewards and bribes to encourage good behavior, plus 5 cheap treats for kids.
- Carrie Vining Spanier, BettyConfidential.com
Read: Find Your Inner Child
• The Ol’ Standby: Sticker Charts!
Tried and true, sticker charts (aka behavior modification charts) are a staple in many toddler-run households. They are used as positive reinforcement to help change a behavior or – ahem – to bribe. Experts recommend sticking with one behavior at a time – just pick the one that’s really turning your hair gray. For each day the child demonstrates the correct behavior, she receives a sticker that is placed lovingly on the chart. After the week is completed, a reward is given. Voila. Personally, I find this works like a charm with my 3-year-old. A great resource for sticker charts is stickercharts.com where you can find ready to print charts. The work is already done for you. Game, match, point – Mom!
• The Treasure Chest
Many savvy mommies advocate getting the kids involved in the bribe. Donna Dempsey, 35, mother of two, suggests, “Take an old shoe box, have the kids decorate it and fill it with all kinds of little things and call it the treasure chest. When they are well behaved, or you need to bribe them, have them pick an item from it. Works like a charm!” A great place to go for said “little things” is www.orientaltrading.com, an online mega store full of cheap trinkets and toys guaranteed to steer your kid into “good behavior land!”
• Money, Money, Money
As the old saying goes: Cash is King! Kids as young as 3 are well aware of the importance and value of the dollar; just ask any kid the going rate for the tooth fairy. Can you say inflation? Sheesh. No, I’m not saying you have to throw dollar bills at your kids when they “do good.” Get creative people! Teach those kids a thing or two about saving! Katie Calautti, 33, remembers her childhood bribing system well: “My mom used to make hand-written coupons for me that I could cash in whenever I wanted. Stuff like: a movie in the theater, dessert for dinner, trip to the park, a round of miniature golf, etc. It was super smart of her because it was a cheap present that also made me feel like I had control. It worked, too - oh, did it work.” Along the same lines, fake gold coins, pretend money and even real money all can be given as incentives and for future trade-ins for The Big One, the big thing your kid has his eyeballs on. And remember, mommy giveth, mommy can taketh away.
There’s no reason to head into the poorhouse while trying to bribe or break your kid from bad behavior. Explore your local Dollar Store, Target, Party City (just don’t bring your kids – you will never, ever leave), etc. for bargains. Trust me, they are a-plenty! However, if you’re reading this and thinking, “C’mon, I don’t have time to think! I have three kids, I’m potty training one, burping one and bathing the other, just tell me a few good bribes!” Well sister, you are in luck. Read on for a list of five good kid-pleasers, all for under $10.00.
1. Crayola Color Wonder Activity Pad and Marker Assortment, $9.99
Take this little gem along on a trip or even out to dinner and whip it out if necessary. Best part, no mess. Enough said.
2. Bubble Ooodles, $6.00 and refills for $3.50
Hands down, the BEST bubbles ever. They aren’t very messy and the bubbles last. I find myself going nuts alongside my kids over these. Literally.
3. Silly Straw Eyeglasses, $1.99
"These clear, plastic-tubing faux-specs start in your soda, wrap around your ears and eyes, sit on your nose and end up in your mouth. You slurp and your drink zips around your face and into your yap." Prepare for your Coolest Mom Ever award.
4. Girls Play Makeup by Little Earths Beauty, $4.50
A little lip-gloss, a little body glitter … all goes a long way in getting what you want out of your little princess.
5. Pack of 5 Matchbox Cars, $4.99
No list of cheap bribes/rewards would be complete without this old standby! What little kid doesn’t like a bunch of cars? And at that price! We’re sold.
In a perfect world our kids will cooperate with us most of the time. And when they stray, a hug and a kiss would suffice. And then we wake up …
Carrie Vining Spanier lives in New York, is a mother of two and has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.
To read more from BettyConfidential | Should You Kiss In Front of Your Kids?
