Rewarding Behaviour
Consistent, small rewards for small achievements work much better than large rewards for big goals, especially for younger children. After all, you wouldn’t expect your child to learn to read if you paid him no attention until he’d finished his first book. You would indicate your pleasure along the way. Why set such a high expectation for behavioural self-control? Food and toys are often the first rewards that come to mind, but they are not the most effective. Your approval, expressed enthusiastically and accompanied by a pat on the back or a high-five, should produce more behaviour change than a cookie. Children also enjoy earning more control over their lives: the right to decide what’s for dinner, stay up 10 minutes later, or pick the destination of a family outing. These all make good rewards for positive behaviour.