Let’s begin by having a look at a scenario where your child has done something well, or let’s say, has completed his/her homework on time. Now, how do you respond to the situation? Do you say – 1) “You finished your homework before time! I am very proud of you. Here’s a treat for your good work!” Or 2) “If you finish your homework on time, I’ll take you out for a treat.”
While both these sentences may seem pretty similar, they have somewhat contradictory effects on the psyche of children and how they are most likely to respond in such scenarios in the future. Rewarding good behavior is a time-tested parenting technique that works wonders in helping the kids learn what you expect from them and, in turn, instill good habits.
However, in today’s time, overusing rewards or using them to bribe a child has become a major concern for parents. The best way out of this tricky situation is by balancing the rewards so that they continue bolstering good behavior but not let the rewards turn into bribery.
So, in this article today, we, at Delhi Public School Kota, one of the top schools in Kota, will throw light on why rewards are so critical in child development and how to ensure that your rewards for your kids don’t turn them into reward-mongers. Read on.
Reward Vs. Bribe: What’s Right for Your Child?
What generally happens is that in an attempt to save time and effort, most parents tag the chores they want their kids to complete with rewards like getting extra TV time or a candy bar, an ice cream, or more. Just because there’s a high-value reward linked to the chore, kids would happily (or not) agree to do the chore. While this might work at the moment, kids gradually get the feeling that they have the power to up the ante, and soon the candy bar would turn into an upfront demand for a new toy or even an iPad!
Since young minds are easily impressionable, it is very important to deliver the rewards carefully and not make them look like a bribe that they can turn in their favor.
Having said that, there are way too many benefits of putting an aptly planned reward-based system in place for you to ignore the parenting technique. And here are some of our top reasons for saying so.
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Rewards bolster good behavior
The moment you tag a certain reaction from your child that you want them to repeat with a reward, it triggers the happiness center of their brains. The next time they come across a similar situation, they are automatically driven to act in the right manner because of the reward or praise.
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Helps boost self-esteem
Confidence and self-esteem hold a unique place in building up the overall psychology of children. As such, when you use rewards instead of negative words like ‘no,’ ‘stop,’ ‘don’t do that, etc., more often, it shows the child that they can achieve good things in life. By not pointing out just the negatives, you essentially make them limitless in their perceptions and capabilities.
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Creates positive parent-child interactions
Using a well-balanced reward and praise-based parenting technique helps build positive interactions and a good relationship between parents and kids. And it is these happy and fun parent-child interactions that lay the cornerstone for healthy child development.
Summing Up
We, at DPS Kota, ranked among the top schools in Kota, believe that just like many other aspects of child development, rewards also need a careful balance to work right. Overuse it, and you are setting the path for a stubborn child. It is hence crucial to understand the importance of this balance and try to maintain it. When the reward system is aptly balanced, it offers the young minds the requisite encouragement to perform better and behave right.