5 Non-food Rewards for Kids

There are so many times when we want to reward our kids! Since using food as a reward can become a very bad habit, I'm always looking for non-food alternatives.

Money. Money is a good motivator for older kids. There's no shame in replacing "I'll take you out for an ice cream" with "I'll give you $5 for every "A" on your report card". Kids need to learn the value of money, and having them earn it, save it, and use it is a good way for them to gain practical experience.

A special event or day trip. Instead of bribing your kids with high calorie/low nutrition treats, offer a special event like going to the movies or seeing a ball game as a reward. Make a day out of going to an interactive museum, skiing, visiting the beach, or going to the zoo.

An article of "cool" clothing. Kids can get really picky about their clothes. Sometimes we parents like to save money by buying sale items at department stores, but our kids usually want top-priced items from specialty stores instead. Use their mindset to your advantage and bribe them with expensive sneakers, sweatshirts, and accessories.

An electronic device. Getting his own cell phone was a really big deal to my son, and he only got one because he made the honor roll all four quarters of seventh grade. While some people may think it's wrong to bribe your kid, I think it's a fantastic motivator. If an electronic device is too big of a reward, offer a new video game, app, or iTunes downloads instead.

Extended privileges. For younger kids this might mean rewarding them buy letting them stay up later than usual on the weekend. For older kids, it might mean extending curfew. Older kids could be treated to an outing to the mall, movies, or other safe place without a chaperone.

There are so may positive alternatives to food bribes and rewards.