Prizes in the education of children

Rewarding good behavior in children is not bad if we know how to do it properly , if we run away from material prizes and do not apply it as a blackmail to behave well. It is about choosing correctly the type of rewards, the frequency with which we reward and why or under what circumstances we do it

Rewarding good behavior in children is not bad if we know how to do it properly, if we run away from material prizes and do not apply it as a blackmail to behave well. It is about choosing correctly the type of rewards, the frequency with which we reward and why or under what circumstances we do it.

The best rewards: immaterial

As parents involved in the education of our children, in many occasions, we are questioned as to whether it is good or bad to reward or reward the good behavior of children. And if we do it, when should we do it, how often or what kind of rewards are the most appropriate depending on the age.

Usually when we talk about rewarding the good behavior of our children we think of something material, something tangible like a bauble or a gift, forgetting that the best rewards are the immaterial: the compliments, the hugs, the time we share together, see a movie sharing some popcorn on the sofa at home, explaining a story, putting music and dancing a while in the living room, ...

These are the best rewards we can give our children, because in addition to reinforcing their self-esteem and let them know what they have done is fine and that is what we expect from them.

Material rewards, only in a timely manner

It is also true that sometimes material prizes may be opportune from time to time, such as preparing a special meal that we know they like a lot or taking them to the zoo or the cinema have done something very well.

If the material prizes do not become a custom or an obligation there is no problem in using them in a timely manner to reinforce a good behavior, such as buying a book after going through a bad time. In this way it is unlikely that our son will get used to obeying simply so we can buy him things.

Of course, getting accustomed to obeying on the basis of awards can make our son become a blackmailer pero, but using them from time to time is a sign of affection that does not have to create habit or be misinterpreted.As always, common sense is the best counselor. The objective is that the child feels satisfied and proud of his good behavior and that in the future he knows how to behave by the mere fact of knowing that this is the correct way to act.