It’s often said that you should never resort to buying the good graces of anyone – sadly this is a rule that never has and never will apply to kids! When it comes to younger children in particular, there’s really nothing wrong with ‘greasing the wheels’ from time to time to motivate positive behaviours. After all, it’s likely to be some time before the old ‘any good deed is its own reward’ adage means anything to them – in the meantime, making good with the more tangible rewards tends to work much better.

Of course there is a line to draw as to reward each and every positive thing any child does would be to instil a rather bad habit of then expecting too many rewards long-term. Nevertheless, in instances where habits are either hard to break or in any way difficult for younger kids to understand, a little deal-sweetener here and there can be a wonderful thing.

Brainwaves, the leading provider of high quality rewards for children (stickers, badges, certificates, stampers & pencils) have written the following article for our readers highlighting some areas of children’s activities that parents may like to monitor and encourage good practice through positive reinforcement.

Cleanliness

For example, trying to explain to any younger child why it’s of such importance to practise good cleanliness habits can be tricky. This covers everything from the state they keep their room in, to their own personal hygiene and so on – all of which are lessons that aren’t learned overnight. These are therefore perfect examples of instances where positive behaviour could be grounds for a reward. For each night the little one keeps their room clean, she gets a sticker…for example. And if she gets five consecutive stickers in a row, she gets something even better – a badge, toy, etc. It’s a fantastic way of motivating positive habits, which once instilled have a delightful habit of sticking long-term.

Table Manners

Believe it or not, it’s actually possible to make the subject of teaching better table manners fun for all involved. Just as soon as your kids are old enough to begin feeding themselves at the table, set them the challenge of not only finishing their whole meal, but doing so without spilling or splashing a drop. Invest in a simple sticker chart and give them a sticker for it each time they manage a clean meal. Then, just like above, every time they chalk up say ten clean dinners, they’re rewarded. This way, positive habits are encouraged by pure recognition, as opposed to being scolded for failure.

Social Interaction

In terms of social interaction, it’s important to nurture things like kindness, compassion and generosity in all kids - though this, again, can be difficult with words alone. Monitoring a child’s interaction with others therefore can be a great way of picking up on key points worthy of rewards. If there’s only one ice cream and he or she lets a friend have it, big gold star. If they let their friend use the slide or swings first, another gold star. Sharing their bag of crisps is another perfect reason for a reward. Again, you’re not looking to create a system where good deeds are only done for rewards, but to instead nurture the development of positive habits that will stick for life.

You’d be surprised how far a few stickers and badges might just get you!

We have therefore teamed up with Brainwaves to offer you a great prize of their Saver Cards and accompanying stickers. All you need to do is enter below.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

UK Entrants Only.
The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 5 working days by email
Brainwaves will make every effort to provide the gift set requested but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 18/07/2015 at 12am

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