Behaviour Charts do they work?

Yes they do!

Charts work for 2 simple reasons: firstly, children love them secondly, they break the cycle of nagging and telling off that is so easy to fall into as parents - a chart provides a really positive way (using encouragement and praise) for the whole family to try and tackle and issue.

Reward or Bribe?

Some people don’t like the notion of “bribing” a child to do something. But using rewards adds to the child’s excitement and helps build towards a sense of achievement when the chart is finished. Rewards shouldn’t be expensive, they should be treats - little things that mean a lot.

Some ideas for rewards?

New book, trip to the park, family outing, new (small) toy, sleep over, trip to the seaside, extra bedtime story, choice of menu for the weekend, special cake gets baked, new coloring pens…

There are practically hundreds of things you could think of but the most important thing is it should be something the child wants, even better, something they choose themselves (with a little bit of parental guidance). Avoid junk food and anything expensive in the long run it will be counter productive and you will end up spoiling your child.

At what age can a child use a chart?

This depends on the child in question. A good rule of thumb is charts should work for children from 3+. However, the more important things to consider are whether the child is capable of tackling the issue you want to address.

What issues can I tackle with a behaviour chart?

You can use a chart to tackle all sorts of everyday family issues, for example: educational achievements, daily activities, resolving a problem, encouraging good adaab.

Some ideas on what to write

Don’t use charts for everything - use them in moderation. The real joy of using a chart is it proves to you that positive encouragement and praise is what kids really respond to.

• say please and jazakallah khair
• go to bed on time
• do my homework/Islamic Studies
• share my toys
• put shoes/clothes away
• clothes in laundry basket
• make my bed
• brush my teeth
• be kind to siblings
• tidy my room
• finish my food
• read quran
• wash myself on the toilet
• get dressed
• clear away my toys
• help around the house
• say my duas
• pray salah

The Golden Rules…

Please take a few minutes to read through the instructions that are supplied with your chart - as a quick summary here are the golden rules you should follow:

Stick to a few issues and be realistic.

Think about ways you can help your child.

Stay positive and concentrate on praising success.

Involve your child before you start using a chart - they must want to tackle the issue and must also understand how the chart is going to work.

Never take away stickers or rewards.