Rewards Jar

I am sure many of you have read and have your own opinions on the controversial topic of whether or not reward systems are good for children. We have been doing this little rewards jar with our four year old and I am still up in the air about it.

Pro: He is so proud of himself when he earns beads for doing good things or having good behavior. He also understands what he did wrong when we are having to take a bead away.

Con: We wonder if he eventually got into the mind frame of "what do I get out of it". That's not the point!

How it works: Get a bag of beads and an empty jar with a lid. Mark lines that the child has to reach before they can get into the treasure box. The treasure box can contain little toys from the dollar store or whatever you like. Good behavior is rewarded with a bead and bad behavior, a bead is taken out. When there is a really bad habit or problem you may be dealing with your child allow them to earn extra beads or have extra beads taken away. This certainly got the problem under control for my child. Make sure you have your child put the bead in or take it out so they are aware and understand their behavior. (The picture shows an almost full jar but quite a few marks have been past and treasures rewarded).

I would love to hear what you think on this subject; everyone's comments are very welcomed.