AkoroHow reward charts work
A reward chart names one positive behavior and shows how often your child manages it. Ticks, stickers or stars add up to a reward. Raising Children, an Australian parenting site, says they work well for ages 3 to 8, and that not every child responds to them.
How to run one
- Talk it through with your child, and agree the goal together.
- Choose one behavior, and describe it clearly. “Pick every toy up off the floor” works better than “be tidy”.
- Match the chart to your child. Star stickers suit younger children, and points suit older ones.
- Use small rewards you can give often, such as a bike ride, time with you or a movie night. The novelty of stickers wears off quickly.
- Give the sticker straight after, with specific praise.
What to avoid
- Taking stars away, or threatening to. If a star isn’t earned, move on and encourage another try.
- One chart for brothers and sisters. A child who earns stars more slowly can lose heart, so give each child a chart, a behavior and a reward of their own.
- Rewarding with something your child gets anyway.
- Giving the reward late, or only some of the time.
How long to keep it going
Charts work best on one behavior for a short time. Phase it out by stretching the gap, for example a sticker every day, then every 2 days, then every 5, with praise throughout. Stop once the behavior has changed, and take a break before starting another.
You can make one now with the free reward chart maker. If charts aren’t working and the behavior worries you, talk to your pediatrician.
Keep track of it in Akoro
Akoro pays a chore’s reward into your child’s balance when you tick it off, or leaves the reward out if you’d rather. Missed chores never take money away. Chores are part of Akoro Pro.
