Rewards for Toddlers

Okay, so as promised, I am posting an example of our little "reward list" to accompany the "chores list" that I mention in the previous post.

To figure out what to put on the list, sit down with your child and think of fun rewards together. You might be surprised at what your child comes up with - I certainly was! First thing out of her mouth was "hugs and kisses." Wow.

Anyway, try to think of east things that you may enjoy doing together (i.e., baking a cake, making cookies, watching a movie, playing a board game) as well as extra special treats like a trip to the museum, movie theater, or bowling.

My daughter gets one point for every chore she does. Our chore list has expanded since my last post and she now has 16 different chores to choose from plus two extra categories represented by a star and a smiley face that are reserved for those moments when she accomplishes something important or worthy that is not listed on the page.

I divided her rewards up into three sections: For 0 to 14 points she can get "hugs & kisses/abrazos y besitos" or a "heart (valentine)/corazoncito." 15 to 49 points gets her one of the following: rent a movie, a surprise gift, help mami bake a cake/brownies/cookies, or a new book. And finally, for the incredibly helpful child who racks up 50+ points, she gets to go to a movie or bowling. So get creative and list some really fun things that your child enjoys. But try to limit food related rewards and definitely stay away from candy to avoid repeated requests in the future and unhealthy associations.

To help with bilingual education, I listed all of the rewards in both English and Spanish.