If you've ever tried using a point system or a reward chart, then you are aware of the difficulty involved in keeping up with it. They usually involve a lot of behaviors, then you have to decide how often they get a point, then you have to figure out how often your child will be able to exchange the points, then you have to decide the price of items purchased with points, then you have to keep track of how many points have been spent, etc..  Before you know it, you are running your own little mini economy and that is no easy feat.

Here is an easier way to use a reward system.

Materials Needed: A small strip of cardstock (about the size of a bookmark), 5 small squares made out of cardstock -you can personalize the squares for your child with pictures of something they like, such as princesses or cars, or you can draw stars or happy faces on the squares, 5 small pieces of velcro, and a small plastic bag or envelope to store the items.

Place the 5 pieces of velcro (rough side) on the strip of cardstock.  Place the other side of the velcro (soft side) on the backside of the 5 square pieces. 

Before introducing the new reward system to your child, you will spend a few days establishing the earned rewards as part of the daily routine.  First, you will need to identify which activities or rewards you want to use with your child.  For example, if your child likes to play games, they can earn 15-20 minutes of game time.  For the first few days, you will establish "game time" as part of the daily routine.  Every day at 5:00pm your child will be able to spend 15 minutes playing games.  The actual amount of time, depends on your child's age and the type of activity.  Younger children may only need 5-10 minutes whereas older children may need 30 minutes or an hour.  The reward can be anything - access to a favorite toy, game, activity.  It should be something that your child really enjoys doing. 

This "reward time" will be given to the child regardless of his performance during the first few days.  Why? Because it is very important to establish it as part of their routine before you try to use it as a consequence.  This is a big mistake that is often made when introducing a new reward system.  If the child hasn't experienced the "reward time" then she doesn't know what she is working so hard to earn and if she doesn't earn it, she doesn't know what she is missing out on. 

After you have spent a few days establishing the new "reward time" as part of your child's routine, it is time to implement the reward system.  Sit down with your child and go over each rule that will result in a loss of a square and that keeping her squares will result in earning "reward time." 

Here is how it works:

Each day your child will begin the day with all 5 squares on the reward strip.  Each time your child breaks a rule, one of the squares will be removed.  If she loses all 5 squares, she will not be able to participate in "reward time" that day.  If she has 1 or more squares left on the strip, she will earn "reward time." The reward  strip is small enough to take with you anywhere, so you can use it while you are away from home too.

There are a few keys to making this reward system work.

• Focus on praising good behavior throughout the day (tell her what she is doing right). Each time she loses a square, make it a point to find 5 things that she has done right. This will help keep you focused on the positive things your child is doing.
  

• When she loses a square, keep it simple, state the rule that she broke, and tell her that she lost a square for breaking the rule. Do not yell. Do not lecture.  Do not say anything more about it.

• Do not allow your child to have access to the activities used during "reward time" at any other time.  Reserve those activities and/or toys for "reward time."  By doing this, you will increase her motivation to work hard to earn "reward time."  If she knows she can have it at other times, then why should she care if she earns it or not?
  

• When she earns "reward time" tell her all the things she did right that day and remind her that is why she has earned her special "reward time."
  

You can personalize your reward system for each child and work on the rules that she has trouble following.  You can also slowly decrease the number of squares that she starts out with at the beginning of the day as her behavior improves.  For example, if she goes several weeks consistently earning the reward, then you can start the day with 4 squares.  Continue to decrease the squares until she only has 1-2 each day. 

Another strategy is to keep all 5 squares, but assign an amount of time to each square, so that the more squares she has, the more time she earns.  For example, if each square is worth 10 minutes, then 5 squares = 50 minutes of "reward time," 4 squares = 40 minutes, 3 squares = 30 minutes, 2 squares = 20 minutes, and 1 square = 10 minutes.

It might also be necessary to modify the procedure by starting out with more squares, if you are targeting behaviors that occur several time per day.  The same procedure can be used, you will just need to add more squares.  The number of squares that should be used with your child, should be slightly less than the number of times she breaks a rule during the day.  For example, if you are targeting whining, and your child typically whines 10 times per day, then you should start out with 7-8 squares per day.  Then follow through with the above described procedure to slowly decrease the number of squares that are used. 

Heidi Eilers, Ph.D.,, B.C.B.A.-D
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Family Coach
www.positivebehavioralsolutions.com