Do you reward for good grades? With money or with something else? Many parents are confused about whether they should pay cold, hard cash for good grades or how they can acknowledge hard work without money.
To make it harder rewards get a bad rap. Should you reward for good grades at all? While we agree that rewarding kids for just showing up (I’m looking at you pee wee soccer) isn’t a great idea for some kids rewards are a great way to show them how you recognize their hard work and responsibility. Giving them something to look forward to could help them to stay focused on getting good grades or improving their grades.
Each child is unique, so while we’re discussing rewarding for good grades it should be noted that some kids won’t be able to achieve good grades easily while others get them with little to no effort. consider your individual child when you’re thinking about rewards. You can consider rewarding them for effort, hard work, responsibility, or other aspects of their schoolwork. We don’t advocate pushing your child to achieve good grades-it puts too much pressure on them, but we do think it’s important to encourage responsibility and hard work.
If you plan to reward to your kids here are 7 ideas that you can celebrate their good grades and responsibility without money.
7 Ways To Reward Good Grades Without Money
1. Play board or card games
If your kids enjoy playing games with each other, their friends or the entire family setting up a board game night is a great reward.
2. Host movie night
Most kids love watching movies, and watching them at home can be a great treat. Rent or queue up a fun movie on Netflix, pop some popcorn, and indulge in a few treats. You could always invite a friend or three of theirs over as well to make it even more fun!
3. Plan an outing
Planning a day out of the house where you visit a local park and have a picnic, go to the local skatepark, or go hiking can be a great reward for good grades. Outdoorsy kids will love it, and there are tons of free and inexpensive ways to enjoy your time outside from biking and kayaking to free museum days or concerts in your local park.
4. Unlimited screen time
Video games and screen time often get pushed aside when school work is more important during the school year. To show your kids how proud you are of their hard work give them a day to play as much as they want.
5. Cook their favorite meal
Everyone has their favorite home cooked meal. To celebrate their good grades offer to cook their favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner one day. They’ll be happy to eat their favorite foods and you’ll show them that their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
6. Enjoy their hobbies together
Most kids have hobbies that they enjoy. Why not take an afternoon to engage with them over their favorite hobby? Whether they love creating art or are happy building LEGOs, spending one on one time with them is priceless. Making that effort and time a few times will show them how much you appreciate their hard work.
7. A week without chores.
This one is huge for kids who often grumble about doing their chores. Giving your kids a week without chores is a super fun break that they will love. You can assign the chores to your other kids, or to yourself and your spouse.
What do you think about rewarding good grades or effort?
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