Prizes and rewards motivate people. How many times have you bought a lottery ticket, entered a drawing or opened that container of soda to see if you were “a winner” by reading the cap? When it comes to motivating our children and using some of the tricks and tools of parenting, giving away a prize might be a tactic you can use.
Like anything, prizes can be overused and lose their motivational magic, but the occasional prize or reward can be powerful. I found with my kids that just calling it a “prize” was fun. Since it was so different and did not seem to fit into family life, it had appeal. So, when might you consider giving away a prize?
Depending on how much competition you want to foster in your family scene, you can give a prize to the first person to accomplish something, or it can be tied to the accomplishment regardless of how many children achieve it. For example, there can be a prize offered for every child who keeps their room clean for an entire month or week or you could offer a prize to the child willing to clean the litter box for an entire month. A prize could also be fun for any children who read 20 books during the summer (or 3 novels for an older child.)
You can borrow ideas from the outside world when it comes to what your prizes will be. My kids always responded well to group prizes or activity prizes—a trip to the skating rink, dinner out, miniature golf, etc. They did not so much want stuff and toys as much as they liked to do special things as a prize or reward for something they accomplished. Whatever you choose, make sure that the prize is something the child wants—otherwise the whole process may backfire and they will not be motivated because they do not want what is being offered as incentive.
See Also: Fun Family Reunion Activities