The most perfect day.
13 hours ago
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Early this summer, Isaiah's behavior was getting totally out of control. He was getting multiple spankings each day which, clearly, wasn't working.
I decided to try a more positive approach to discipline and made a sticker chart. These are the things I expect my four-year-old to do every day:
1. Get dressed by himself
2. Eat breakfast
3. Get himself buckled in his carseat
4. Water the plants
5. Play nicely
6. Be nice to Sam
7. Help Sam get his shoes off when we get home
8. Help set the table
9. Eat lunch
10. Help clear the dishes off the table
11. Do schoolwork
12. Be Mommy's helper
13. Say please and thank you
14. Eat dinner
15. Tell the truth
16. Get a bath
17. Brush his teeth
18. Go straight to bed without getting out of bed
If he gets stickers for mostly everything (this is somewhat subjective) he will get a smiley sticker for the day. After he earns 15 smiley stickers, he gets to do something really special. In fact, he earned his 15th sticker on Saturday night, and he's due for something special. I'm debating taking them to the Children's Museum or the Pirate game tomorrow. Chances are he'll choose Wildwood Highlands. He loves that kids' indoor play area.
I've noticed that the more consistent I am with his sticker rewards, the harder he tries to earn the stickers.
I realize that behavior modification alone is not enough. Reward charts get a bad rap because they feed into the child's own selfishness. (They're only doing the right thing so they can get the reward they want). I know children need to know WHY they are doing things and making the right choices. But I've tried to reason with Isaiah and explain why we act certain ways (to be considerate to others, to be kind, etc.) but he just doesn't get it at his age. So at this point, I'm ok with him just choosing to do the right thing. The WHYs will have to be understood in the years to come.
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3 comments:
I think the sticker chart is fabulous
Yes, kids do the right things to get the reward, however, when you do the right thing over and over again, it eventually becomes habit!
4 year olds simply aren't capable of reasoning the way we want them to yet, which can make explaining why doing the right thing is a good idea to them. This is why sticker charts are a great way to get them started doing things the right way.
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