Kids Won’t Do Chores? Then Try This…

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Want your kids to do their chores and fulfill other kid responsibilities? You can, through logical consequence – not punishment. It’s based on the concept of “token economy.” According to a teacher’s study guide and tips via the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville, the concept is “based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and emphasize the use of positive reinforcement to target behavior change. Token economies help students to visualize progress, accept and work for delayed reinforcement, learn to self-monitor, and learn to regulate behavior.”

Here is how on child’s doctor explained it to his mother:

  • Only ask twice for something to be completed;
  • Keep with “Grandma’s Rule” of first comes work, then play;
  • Be consistent 99.9 percent of the time.
  • Don’t argue back with your kids. It gets you nowhere and leaves you feeling exasperated.

Here’s how you implement it:

Start with a supply of poker chips and a see-through container such as a glass jar. Good behaviors glean reward chips. If the does what’s been asked of him or her by the second request, he/she earns a chip. So does brushing teeth, getting dressed on time, putting his/her school backpack in its designated spot and various requests. Other actions – such as getting to bed on time, putting toys away and getting along with his/her sibling – would garner three chips.

kid poker

Then, he/she cashes in their chips for basic privileges: 30 minutes of TV or 20 minutes of electronics would cost four chips, for example. A single Pokemon card or an ice cream treat would run five chips. Bigger treats – such as a trip to the movies or the beach – would cost more; 35 chips would be about right.

The key is this: you reward your child for good behavior. And you can’t take chips away as punishment. Plus, he sees his stash of plastic coins accumulating. Motivation at its finest.

Sound like a mighty fine idea to me? What do you think? Would this work with your children?

via – (Florida Today)

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