We love our children, and we love to watch them succeed. Sometimes it feels like we run out of ideas on how to reward them, especially as they age out of certain activities and interests. That's why I wanted to share 5 of the creative rewards I use with my kids.
1. Supper Time Supervision
Let your kiddos choose dinner for the night. Depending on your child's age and your budget, this can range from them asking you to cook something special, to them ordering surprise (to you) take out. Giving your kids a little extra freedom will not only be a great reward for them, but it will allow you to get to know your children a little better.
2. Surprise Delivery
There are plenty of delivery options here, but my personal favorite is lolly delivery. This is so much fun, and they have a selection like you wouldn't believe! Being able to surprise one of my girls with their favorite sweets when they've really performed well at school or with their chores is great. Having flowers, edible arrangements, or even monthly subscription boxes can also be great ideas.
3. Turn Ideas into Goals
Between 3 girls, we have a lot of hobbies and dreams. Right now, our oldest wants to be a vet, our middle wants to be a chef, and our youngest wants to be a doctor. (And these are only the 'big' ones.) Finding fun ways to turn these dreams into goals - and encouraging your kiddos to go through with it - is a reward that will last a lifetime. Choosing age-appropriate ways to enhance their goals is crucial. For our little chef, we have a stack of themed recipe books and offer to buy her real, kid-sized kitchen gadgets and tools if she hits certain goals. It works like a charm.
4. Dream Day
Let your child plan their perfect day - within reason. Make sure that you give them a budget that is easily accommodated, as well as time limits and other restrictions - like maybe no boyfriends or girlfriends allowed.
Encourage them to choose something that they can do with the whole family, as well as things they might want to try solo (if they're older). Let them be creative, but remind them that it's not set in stone until you look it over and approve.
5. Cut 'Em Some Slack
If you're looking for creative ways to reward your children, then chances are they've already earned plenty. Let them take a break by offering to do chore vouchers. If they do a great job, offer them a voucher to get out of their least favorite chore - at least for the day.
There are tons of ways to reward your kids. Some parents even choose to keep a bank account for things like dream cars or down payments that they put money into as rewards! You only ever need a little creativity and plenty of knowledge about your kiddo. Ask questions. Listen to their wants and needs. And please, never be afraid to ask your friends with older kids what they did when theirs were younger.
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