Do reward charts work?
Reward charts can work well for everyday routines, as long as the reward is for the habit and the goal is one your child can reach. They tend to backfire when the reward becomes the whole point, when the target is too far away, or when the chart turns into a way to punish. Set it up so your child wins often, and let the rewards fade once the routine sticks.
When do reward charts help?
A chart suits jobs your child can already do but needs reminding about: getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing a school bag, a homework routine. The steps are clear, they happen every day, and a tick at the end of each one shows how far they've come.
It also helps with the nagging. When the list is on the chart, the reminder comes from the chart rather than from you, and your child can see for themselves what's left. That shift, from you running the routine to your child running it, is what a chart is really for.
When do they backfire?
- A reward for every single thing. If each brushed tooth and each sock earns something, the reward becomes the job and the routine stops without it.
- A goal that's too far away. Thirty days of perfect mornings is a long wait for a six-year-old. If the first reward feels out of reach, the chart is forgotten within a week.
- Using it to punish. Taking stars away for unrelated behaviour turns the chart into something to fear rather than something to fill.
- Changing the rules. If the price of a reward goes up once your child gets close, or a reward isn't handed over when it's earned, the chart stops meaning anything.
- Rewards that keep growing. When every reward has to be bigger than the last, it's hard to keep up and the chart becomes a negotiation.
How do you set one up so it lasts?
- Start with one routine. Pick the part of the day that's the hardest, like before school or bedtime, and get that one working first.
- Reward the routine, not each task. One star for finishing the whole list keeps the focus on getting through it.
- Make the first reward reachable in a week or so. An early win shows your child the chart is worth it. Bigger rewards can come later.
- Let your child help choose the rewards. They'll work harder for something they picked. Time together, choosing dinner or a trip to the park often matter more than toys. There are more ideas in reward ideas for kids that aren't toys.
- Mix small and big rewards. A few cheap ones keep things moving, and one bigger one gives them something to save for.
- Be consistent. Hand over a reward when it's earned, and keep the price the same.
- Notice the effort too. A star is a nice signal, but "you got dressed all by yourself" from you means a lot as well.
What happens when the novelty wears off?
Most charts get an exciting first week and a quieter second one. A new reward to save for, a different look for the chart, or adding a task your child asked for can bring the interest back.
Over time, the aim is for the routine to keep going without the reward. Once mornings run smoothly, you can make rewards cost a little more, move the chart to a different routine, or let it go quietly. If the old routine slips, bring it back for a while.
How does Little Streaks work as a reward chart?
- One star for each routine finished. Your child ticks off the tasks themselves, and finishing the whole routine for the day earns a star.
- You set the rewards and their price. Each reward costs between 1 and 200 stars. The suggested rewards start small, like a trip to the park for 5 stars, so the first one can be claimed within a week or so.
- Your child asks, you approve. When they have enough stars, they tap the reward and are asked to find a grown-up. See grown-up controls for how that works.
- Missing a day doesn't cost stars. That day's star isn't earned and the routine's streak ends, but nothing is taken away.
- Extra stars when you want them. A grown-up can give stars for something helpful outside the routine, with a short note your child sees in their star history.
Little Streaks is free for one child, up to two routines and one reward. Little Streaks Family adds more children, routines and rewards.
Should I take stars away for bad behaviour?
We'd suggest keeping the chart about the routine. If stars can disappear for something unrelated, your child may stop trusting the chart. In Little Streaks a grown-up can take stars away, but it's best kept for putting a mistake right.
How many stars should a reward cost?
Start with something your child can earn in about a week, then add a bigger reward to save up for. With one star a day for a routine, a 5 star reward is about a week of finished routines.
How long should we use a reward chart?
As long as it's helping. When a routine runs on its own, try making rewards cost a little more or moving the chart to a routine that needs it more.
Little Streaks is a routines and rewards app for kids, for iPhone and iPad. Free to start, with up to two routines.
