Training Your Child into Responsibility

nospam@example.com (Amy McCoy) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:24:17 -0400

Training your child to take care of his or her responsibilities can be a daunting task, especially if you have a large family. Our task as parents is to encourage our children to take on the chores that they need to each do, without having to be told. Very often, we find ourselves only criticizing the unwanted behavior in our children, but we fail to praise them for the many good things that they do. That's where the PEGS system of rewards and consequences comes in! The PEGS system (Practical Encouragement and Guidance System) helps you to help your children to learn that there are benefits to responsible and kind behavior and that there are consequences for wrong behavior.

First you choose the sets of chores from the discs provided. They have pictures of each chore so that even small children can understand what is expected. As each item is accomplished, the disc can be turned over to show that it is done and bright stickers with "Well Done!" or similar messages can be put on the back of each disc.

In the McCoy household, these items must be accomplished without a parent having to remind them or else there is no reward. The green circles are the reward for each chore a child has done, the red circles with the line through them are demerits for wrong or irresponsible actions.

Green circles or red X's are given in response to three different categories: Attitude, Behavior, and Communication. Positive attitudes, responsible behavior and kind communication are all occasions for which to reward your children. Parents decide how many green circles each child must acquire before they can then Pick a Privilege. Privileges range from "Play with a can of Redi-Whip" to "Have lunch out with a friend". There are many rewards to choose from and parents have the joy of tailoring a reward specific to each child that will motivate him or her to act responsibly.

Similarly, red X's call for children to Choose a Chore. Chores range from "Organize bookshelf" to "Disinfect all household doorknobs" and children of all ages can find something they can do in the way of a chore to get the red X's removed so that they can then move on to getting more green circles! No need for mom or dad to get upset or frustrated...just put a red X and let it do the talking for you.

My kids now get up every morning and get dressed, brush their hair and teeth, clean their rooms and the play room all without being told to do so. When I get up and do the same, by the time I am downstairs, my kids are ready for breakfast and to begin school. And they are rewarded for doing so! I highly recommend this wonderful PEGS system to moms like me, who are not so gifted in organizational skills and who tend to forget to praise and reward their children instead of criticize. You won't be disappointed and neither will your children.

Blog for Parents - Child Training

Training Your Child into Responsibility