Rewards for Kids: 10 Parents Share Their Tips for Celebrating Achievements
![An illustration of a mom with a banner and a foam #1 finger running after her soccer-playing child.](https://ideas.hallmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Kid_Encouragement.jpg)
One of the most important tools parents have to shape their kids’ behavior is the power of positive feedback. But as any parent knows, it takes some creativity to praise children in a sincere, consistent, meaningful way. So how do you go about it? We went straight to the source: Ten parents share the creative ways they let their children know that they’re proud of them.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.
We have a roll of those old-school carnival tickets, and when the kids do something good, they get one of the tickets. At the end of the week, they can trade their tickets for a little prize. They love them so much; you’d think they got them from an actual carnival!
— Kara, Denver, Colorado
My eight-year-old says “Are you gonna Facebook that?” every time I tell him he did something awesome. He’s onto me!
— Michelle, Kansas City, Missouri
![Rewards for kids: puff ball power](https://ideas.hallmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/rewards-for-kids-01.jpg)
We give our daughter puff balls for good behavior. It works like a sticker chart—when she earns enough, she gets an ice cream trip or a movie. The puff balls also make a fun craft when she’s collected enough, so that gives her even more reason to collect more!
— Jen, Leawood, Kansas
When we were potty-training our son, we would use a dry-erase pen to draw a star on the mirror of his bathroom every time he used the potty. Once he got enough stars, he’d be able to pick out a new toy at the store. One newly earned toy later…we had guests over for dinner, and being eager to show off his reward, he looked at our guests proudly, held it up and announced, “I pooped for this!”
— Nate, Boulder, Colorado
We try to recognize our children through both the sincerity and timing of our words—by saying something immediately after the good deed occurs and then again at bedtime so it’s the last thing they hear for the day.
— Gerardo, Olathe, Kansas
Luckily, my daughter is still young enough that she doesn’t really understand the concept of rewards. If she does something without being asked, she still beams with pride, so I take advantage of that! For instance, the other week, she cleaned her art area and told me all about it afterward. I tried to encourage her sense of pride by talking about how easy it will be now to use her art supplies and how big she is. It seemed to work—she looked very proud of herself.
— Edie, Portland, Oregon
![Rewards for kids: movie night](https://ideas.hallmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/rewards-for-kids-02.jpg)
My six-year-old doesn’t get to watch a lot of TV, so it’s a real treat for him. If I’m really proud of his behavior—particularly if he’s nice to his brother and sisters without being told—we’ll have a movie night. He gets to pick the movie, and everyone gets to have popcorn and ice cream while we watch. It’s his favorite reward!
— Andrea, The Woodlands, Texas
I try to reward my son with time spent together rather than with gifts. One time, after a particularly good week of behavior, I surprised my son by taking him to get a pedicure with me. He loved all the pampering, not to mention sitting in a big fancy chair right next to me.
— Jennifer, Shawnee, Kansas
We have a big family, so we like to use a point system to be sure we’re reinforcing good behavior. I have a laminated chart that lists all the jobs to be done. You get points only when you go above and beyond. When the kids get five points, they plan one-on-one time with Mom or Dad. It might mean going to Dad’s office on a Saturday, going to the carwash or just walking to the park. It rewards them and gives them the special attention not always easy to come by in a big family.
— Jennifer, Manchester, Missouri
I’ve done every chart or points system known to parents. They work fine at first, but they don’t seem to be a good way to encourage a sustainable behavior. So, I dropped all of that, and now I just expect my kids to do all those dumb chores, get good grades and be kind to others. (I know, I know, mean mom!) Their reward is a simple “thank you” from me. I think now my kids do more around the house because they aren’t always worried about points or checking a list somewhere.
— Laurie, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Shop Congratulations
See allYou may also like
See more-
Christmas Sweet dreams, Santa!
Catch Santa napping on the job with this Snoring Santa Keepsake Ornament featuring sound and motion. With every snore...
-
Kwanzaa What is Kwanzaa?
What is Kwanzaa? A festival of lights rich in African symbolism, it takes place each year from December 26th through ...
-
Christmas Advent calendar activities for adventurous families
It’s time to start the countdown. Maybe it’s about being mindful…or counting your blessings…or preempting your kids a...
-
Summer Ways to celebrate Juneteenth
While Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, this pivotal moment in history has been cele...
-
Christmas Christmas and Kwanzaa: Keeping family holiday traditions and finding your own
Whether you’re single or starting a family, religious or agnostic, someone who celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa or ju...
-
Halloween Make ghosts and goblins feel right at home this Halloween
Light up your home with haunting Halloween seasonal decor. 🎃👻 Shop now at Hallmark Gold Crown stores or at Hallmark.com.
-
Halloween No scaredy cats around here!
When this black cat crosses your path, you know fun can't be far behind. 😻 🧙♀️ Shop the Zip-A-Long Cat in Hallmark G...
-
Halloween While you’re waiting for The Great Pumpkin this Halloween…
Fly around the pumpkin patch with Zip-a-long Snoopy! 🎃 Shop more frightening finds in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and ...
-
Halloween Light up the night with frightful fun!
Could it be? Could it be!? Yes it is! It’s the Peanuts® Snoopy and Woodstock Halloween figurine! 🎃 🐶 Find it and more...
-
Halloween Where cozy meets mischief and magic
Make some magic this Halloween with this Hocus Pocus hooded blanket. 🧙♀️👻Find more Halloween essentials in Hallmark ...
-
Gifting Relive a favorite from your childhood!
Fill your home with a few small joys inspired by Disney’s “It’s a Small World” 🩵🎎 Shop the collection at Hallmark Gol...
-
Halloween Which house will you be sorted into?
The Harry Potter™ Sorting Hat™ Mug plays sound whenever you lift the lid. Find this chatty mug in Hallmark Gold Crown...
-
Encouragement How to support caregivers
It’s often hard to know how to support a caregiver. Most caregiving checklists out there hit the major topics like me...
-
Love 50 different ways to say I love you
You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to remind that certain someone how much he or she is loved. Spice up yo...
-
Graduation 15 graduation quotes
Celebrate your favorite grad’s milestone with the wit and wisdom of Hallmark writers, fans and others. We’ve rounded ...
-
Congratulations How to congratulate someone
Congratulating others is easy and fun, right? Like when your friend worked really hard and got that awesome job makin...
-
Care & Concern Be more caring with a kindness journal
It's obvious the world could use more kindness. So this year, why not make "be more caring" your number one resolutio...
-
Fall Día de Muertos: A celebration of life and love
Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a holiday originally celebrated in the southern and central parts of Mexico and i...
-
Card Ideas Card messages for kids: What to write in a kid’s holiday card and more
My 3-year-old was having a hard time at preschool drop-off. Dragging his feet. Asking to stay home. This went on a fe...
-
Christmas 6 Creative Christmas Card Display Ideas
Holiday card season is here: Our mailboxes are about to fill up with festive envelopes with pretty stamps and familia...