Good Behavior Charts

Dear M.,
The one that worked the best for me was from Chuck E Cheese's website ( www.chuckecheese.com ) They have several on there that you can print out. Usually the child has to earn stickers, stars, whatever for two weeks in order to complete the certificate. At the bottom is a coupon that tears off, that the child can redeem for 10 tokens. We used one for brushing teeth, and one for "done with thumbs". My son ASKS to brush his teeth before bed every night, and often before his afternoon nap! :)

Hi M.,
I have tried several behavior charts also what i found works best with me is this. I got a "treasure box" and filled it with toys from the dollar store or inexpensive toys that they like. I give him a monthly chart (he is able to earn 3 stickers a day, which is 21 by the end of the week) if he gets at least 15 stickers for the week he gets to pick from the "treasure box" but the whole time he is working for a big prize that he wants to earn for the month he can earn 84 stickers if he gets at least 60 he gets the BIG prize(i normally let him choose) You can start out small maybe just do the weekly charts. I know for me it is hard to stick with an be consistent i hope you find something that works for you.

M.,
I am so with you on this. My oldest just turned 6, then there's my 4 1/2 yr old and my 2 yr old. We LOVE the House Fairy. Just Google "House fairy". It's a program that covers chores, behavior and more. It works very well for us.

If you have already gotten your little ones interested in the computer, a free online program that's very nice is Handipoints. You can print custom charts and log in their progress online.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

Hi M., I have a daughter who will be 6 in july and we have a "chore chart". She is learning about money in school, pennies, nickel, dimes and quarters. So I sat down with her and we talked about how mom and dad work and get a paycheck and sometimes we get bonus money if we do extra special good. We talked about what she can do to earn money and how much each chore is worth. She has a little brother who will be one soon so if i need to switch a load of laundry in the basement i ask her to sit and play with him while I run downstairs she will get a check mark beside that on the chart and her pay day is every friday. End of the school week so if we run errands on the weekend she has her money. She also has negative or frownie face lines on her chart that she will lose money for. I have found giving her a warning - If you do that again I am going to put a check in the frown boxes she usually snaps right out of it. She only got $0.48 one week and was not happy about it. She has simple chores like, take out the recycles to the bins, keep her room clean, get ready on time for the bus. Every friday when she comes home from school she asks if we can review her chart. She even has a wallet she bought to keep her money in.She knows she can trade in her change for dollar bills too. When we are out shopping and she wants something she now has to use her own money for that toy. My husband and I have seen the tears flow in target when she really wants something but we have stood firm. We fell she will have a healthy idea on what is valueable when she grows up. We sometimes print these charts from the internet or we make one on graph paper. If you type free printables in any search engine you will find alot of neat charts...Hope this helps

I used to teach first grade before my son was born and used a ton of different charts and always involed the family. I always found that the simple was best, so the children could really understand and be involved. A reward or activity was usually what we would strive for, such as a special day out with mom alone or a trip to the toy store. I think toys and "things" are less effective because they usual tire of them quickly but special time with a loved one is helpful to self esteem and help to better behaviors. I would have goal such as, done what was asked the 1st time, treated others with respect/kindness, used no bad/hurtful words, etc. usually no more than 3. I would also split the day into morning, lunch and evening, it is hard to last a whole day. You could give points for each goal they achieve and decide on a total for the week. Just make a grid/chart on the computer or use excel if you know how.

Another simple idea is a stop light. Red, yellow and green. They start on green and move down or back up according to behaviors like if you have given a warning to stop or correct themselves then the don't. Make a large version, you can use paper plate, they can help paint them, and use clothes pins. Green at the end of the day is 2 points or marbles or something, yellow one and red is or course zero.

They sell charts at teachers stores too, if you want to go the easy route. Or look at some teacher websites and modify them.

Hope that was helpful.? Just be sure to have your children involved, they can will understand it and grow from it.

Hi, when my girls were younger I used poker chips. Each of my girls got a color and started out the week with 14 chips (two a day). If they did something good or great they would get a chip. If they didn't follow the rules or didn't do their chores etc I would take a chip. We kept the "chip cups" on the TV in plain view. I had a "chip list" of rewards. So many chips = a new cd, a pack of gum, a candy bar, or a lunch out with just one parent, a moovie, or a new book or money or whatever... my girls helped me put together the "chip list". It worked better than giving allowance and it really helped me with impulse buying for them. The only hard part is really keeping up with it. After about two weeks you have to count chips and make out "reciepts" so that the chips in the cups don't get out of hand and you don't have to buy a ton. I started out with 3 or 4 packages just because I needed the red & blue and there are less of them in a pack. It worked for us and was simpler to set up and keep track of than a chart and stickers (we tried those first). Good luck and best wishes.

I really believe that there are two very important ways to get the most out of a reward chart. 1. It must be tailored to your child and 2. It must focus on success. I''l try to explain a little.

1. Some children respond well to reward charts because they like to see the accumulation of a large number of things (lots of check marks, stickers, stars, or whatever). They just like to see that they have earned a large number of things. Some children have very short attention spans and respond better to a chart where a larger reward can be earned in a short amount of time. They grow bored with the chart quickly and need a reason to stay interested. You have to figure out what type and length of chart will work for your child.

2. Children only like reward charts when they actually get a reward for success. Asking a young child to repeat a desired behavior 20 times before they receive a reward is too much time and effort before the reward, even if the reward is huge. They need to see immediate results. Try working out a system where they have multiple opportunities every day to be successful and earn a point (or sticker, however you keep track on the chart). Allow them to trade in the points every day for small rewards and also save for larger rewards.

For example, if you are potty training. Sitting on the potty earns a point, pee is two, poop is three. This way there is reward even for trying, not only for doing it exactly right. Have a jar filled with something that appeals to your child (snacks, candy, small trinkets, toys). Each item has a point value and the child has the opportunity to trade their points in every day for an immediate reward or save for a bigger prize (trip out for ice cream, or to a toy store). Allowing the child to focus on all the things they did right during every day not only reinforces the behavior you want to see, it helps the child to feel successful and builds their self confidence.

M.,
I just make my own on the computer. Make a grid of about 25 blocks (5x5). Put whatever name of the chart at the top. Add color, pictures, etc. I also print out a list of the desired behavior that will earn a sticker and tape it up next to the chart. I put my chart/list on my kitchen door at kid-level. Regular stickers stick very well and you can print out a new O. anytime! Denise

Hi
I'm actually not responding to the behavior chart although i do use one from staples. it was $5.99 for the pack and you can write out things that are reasonable for them to accomplish. it's hard to keep up with it for me bc i have a 3 story town home and 3 kids. I'm writing you bc our kids seem to be the same age distance apart. I have a hard time finding people with that.
My oldest son will be 5 in october, my second son will be 3 next week, and my youngest is 20 months old. I feel like i'm on a different planet than people with one kid or even 2 kids.
any suggestions on how to make your day easier.
maybe we can chat or give eachother tips...
hope to hear from you soon!
L.
by the way my 3 are all boys!!!

I recommed a book called "Life Skills for Kids" by Christine Field - it has a whole section about rewarding good behavior. It also has a list of age appropriate chores/responsibilities that go along with that.