Pay  for Good Behavior and Good Results

Brain maturation is gradual process that leads to increasing ability to make better choices. Maturation requires changes in brain function that depends in part on learning. Adults are usually better at making choices and must guide their children for many years.

Three vital needs of children can be encouraged with one strategy – pay for good results and good behavior. The first need is to be taught to do the right things and to be rewarded for the effort.

Children need to be taught task-oriented planning and scheduling.

Children need to be taught about money, especially the relationship between task accomplishment and monetary reward.

Task and rewards should be well defined and include a schedule. The emphasis is reward, but reasonable fines can levied occasionally for failure to complete tasks and specific rule infractions. A child who fails often needs help, not punishment. Parents can define routine care that comes free with the home and describe all extras as “privileges” that are earned. All money given to children is earned, except for gifts on special occasions.

Family tokens can replace real money. Tokens represent real value and can be exchanged for a variety of rewards. Parents can be inventive in their rewards systems and can learn about their own evaluations and motivations by interacting with their children.

I like the token system, since you can be more flexible with rewards, including value exchanges that are independent of money. Children in a family can develop their own economy by exchanging tokens for services they render to each other. A sister might earn 5 tokens for clearing the kitchen after dinner and offer her brother 3 tokens for helping her with a math assignment. 

As with commercial point motivation systems, the family can have a catalogue of rewards when enough tokens are earned.  Obviously, rewards should be appropriate to age and ability. Younger children should have their own tokens and their own catalogue of rewards.

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Children and Family

The  Psychology & Philosophy series was developed by Persona Digital Books. The books are copyright and all rights to reproduction by any means are reserved. We encourage readers to quote and paraphrase topics from Children, Adolescents and the Family published online and expect proper citations to accompany derivative writings. The author is Stephen Gislason MD.  Published 2010. The URL to this book description is Children and Family.