Earlier this year I stumbled upon a reward system for my 6 year old, Ben. A while back, Ben was given limited priviledges on his brother's X-Box. My concern was that this would snowball and Ben would constantly be on the X-Box. As I contemplated this castrophe, a little light bulb went off over my head. OK not literally but still it was a creative idea for me.
Simply put, Ben earns pennies and "cashes them in" for game time. Each penny is the equivilent of 10 minutes. At first we were trying to model good behavior during school time so he earned pennies for displaying those character qualities. As he began to understand what was expected of him, I adjusted how he earned pennies. For example, when we began the penny system he received pennies for completing his work without excessive complaining. As he improved in this area he could then earn pennies for completing his work in a specified amount of time. I'm sure you get the idea!
This summer, we have put together a list of activities that are worth a penny. The vary from doing certain chores to reviewing school material. The other day we decided to weed the garden. I spent time going over how to properly weed and we enjoyed the afternoon getting lost in the garden. I continued to praise him for his patience and his hard work. When he was done, I surprised him by telling him he had earned several pennies for working without being told. He was so proud of himself.
In our house, pennies are like gold!
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