Does a 2 1/2 year old understand the concept of a reward chart? I want to try one for chores and one for rules of the house but I'm not sure my daughter will understand it.
My daughter is also 2 and 1/2 and I ask her to do things sometimes she does and sometimes she doesnt,all children are different but I think having rewards works for some but I think its too early to understand,you can try it but if it doesnt stick at first keep trying and you can always revisit it later after 3 when things start to fall into place more for them.
I used a sticker chart for potty training with my son and he definitely got it and he was under 3 at the time. Give it a shot--but don't make it too complicated.
We used a chart with my daughter at that age because we were using one with my son who is 14 months older. My daughter knew WHEN we would put stickers on her chart - after potty time, brushing teeth, meal time, etc - but she didn't seem to understand WHY she got the stickers. I think kids age 3 and older are better able to grasp the concept.
We use a responsiblity chart at my house. My daughter is 3 and completely understands the concept. It has things like put your toys away brush your teeth using and using good manner. Every night we sit down and i ask her if she has completed each task individually and give her the things to put on herself. She loves it. If she has filled her whole chart in she gets to go to the park on the weekend or do something fun. I recommend it 100%. As long as you explain it it will work.
My daughter is 27 months old and we have chart for her potty progress and she gets a sticker on the chart every time she goes and she definitely understands it!
Yes, she should be able to understand the concept. Just make sure that in the beginning you have her earn the reward quickly so she gets the connection. So, say you are going to have her earn a total of 10 stickers to get something. At first you will start off with say 8 stickers already on the chart so she only has to get two (you could even start it with only one off) then you increase expectations as time goes on until you are at the point that she needs to get all ten stickers to earn the reward. She will get it. Just make sure since she is so young that you don't make her earn too many stickers or have her wait too long to receive her reward if you don't she won't get the concept and it may not be even worth it to her even if she did.
Sounds a bit much, unless she's very very advanced (like a 4 year old??). if you are lucky enough to have her help around the house, maybe give a quarter, or a sticker, or just the joy of helping. If there are some specific rules you want to work with her on, it should be stated in a positive not a negative (we should do this... rather than don't do that..) and only work on one at a time. However, 2year olds may not always be able to remember the rules.
She probably could, but my 2 and 1/2 year old daughter reacts much better to direct rewards like praise and hugs etc than "things given" the only reward I've ever used is candy for potty training, and she got bored with it pretty fast, but she lights up when I draw attention to a good action or a chore she has done, and when explain why she's such a big girl about something. Even with potty training, when I get really get proud of her for "waiting" and using the potty somewhere, she puffs up a lot more than when I hand her an m&m, even though I'm praising her too, it's like the m&m is beside the point. I would use the chart more to explain her chores with simple pictures and then direct praise for accomplishing them. As for rules, I think charts are too detached. You should teach verbal understanding of rules in any circumstance, not just when you have a chart near by! But she may think it's fun. I definitely think she could understand. Whatever you do, don't let things on charts replace real on the spot praise and real discipline! My friend has huge episodes out and about with her son, and then she gets home and tries to explain how they pertain to a chart and stickers after the fact...it totally doesn't work.
J., Yes, a 2 1/2 year old can understand a reward chart if it is only for one thing with one goal at a time. For example when your potty training: for everyday with no accidents the child gets a pretty (or cool for a boy) sticker on the family calander...when they have a month of stickers they get a special agreed upon toy (for our girls they each got a star castle). At the end of the month the calander is beautiful with stickers and they see what the result is. But you have to focus on one daily thing at a time since at this age they have no real concept of time. Save the chore/reward chart for a year or two! Best wishes.
