Rewarding without Chocolate

Isn’t there something wonderful about “treating” people? It’s so fun to bring flowers to a co-worker on her birthday, prepare your family’s favorite dinner, bake cookies for your Sunday School class, take your kids out for ice-cream after good report cards. 

However, my daughter that is a dietetics and nutrition professor bristles at the use of food as a reward. She would tell you to serve a variety of healthy foods to your family sometimes including desserts. But she would warn that forcing children to finish their dinner in order to earn dessert breeds a mind set that healthy entrees and salad are something we suffer through in order to “earn” the much more desirable sweet treat for dessert. Using food as a reward or as a punishment can undermine the healthy eating habits that you're trying to teach your family. It also encourages them to eat when they're not hungry to reward themselves. Offering otherwise off-limits food as a reward or special treat is also confusing.

Kaitlyn would also warn not to always default to food as your go to reward for good behavior. Yes we want to acknowledge, celebrate and applaud ourselves and others for accomplishments but food should not be our easy and only reward.

Here is a list of other ways to reward good behavior (many came from Habyts) 

Rewards at home.

1.   Praise. It costs nothing. Zilch. Praise their effort, not the achievement.

2.   Dance- put on some great music and have the whole family take part in a celebration dance

3.  Walk- let the child you are rewarding pick where you will walk and head out together

4.   Hi-5. Acknowledge your child’s achievement with this simple, fun action.

5.   Read a book. Their favorite. And let them choose the time and place.

6.   Stay up late. But not too late! 5-15 minutes extra depending on your child’s accomplishment and whether it’s a school night or not.

7.   Do a puzzle. Together, or as a family. But make sure you finish it!

8.   What’s for dinner? Let them choose, not just for them but the whole family.

9.   Bonus screen time. Just a little extra. 15 mins more to say ‘good job’.

10. Build an obstacle course. Indoor or out. Let your kids turn a part of your house or garden into their own temporary obstacle course..

11.Watch a movie or special t.v.show.  Sit down and watch together as a family.

12. Be the ‘only child’. Send their siblings away to the grandparents, friends or relatives for the day and make your child the center of attention.

13. Take and print photos. Grab a camera and have some photo fun. And when you’re done, get them printed. Creative, fun and cheap!

14. Donate old toys. Gather them up, give them a clean and donate to a children’s ward. Your child will see how their old toys benefit others.

15. Camp out. In the back yard. Let them choose where they pitch the tent.

16. Paint a feature wall. Preferably their room. Let them pick the color.

17. Save the change. Give your child your loose change – every day for a week – providing they save it for a rainy day.

18.Choose the tune. In the car or the house. Whatever they choose, goes.

19. Earn art stuff for creative fun. Great for home or school. And no doubt they probably need them!

20. Surprise treasure hunt. In the house or garden.  Make the clues challenging and the prize worth it- an active toy like a jump rope, hula hoop or Frisbee. 

21. Stickers. Works wonders for young children. 

22. Visit the Grandparents. Usually a win-win scenario for all involved.

23. Day Off Chores. Reward them with a day off from their daily chores.

24.Tie-dye-tastic. Take an old shirt and add a splash of colour. Or a lot!

25.Art session! Grab paints or markers and get creative and messy together

Now I realize you probably don’t all have children at home that you are rewarding but there all also non-food ways you can reward yourself for good behavior. You too can enjoy rewarding yourself by curling up with a good book, experimenting with art supplies, dancing in your kitchen, putting a sticker on your calendar when you have made 100% healthy eating choices all day- getting a pedicure to celebrate a week of good choices etc. 

Your challenge this week is to be mindful not to use food as a reward for yourself, your family, your friends or co-workers. AND TO MAKE A CLEAR CHOICE TO REWARD SOMEONE (yes it can be yourself) with a non-food reward for something wonderful they have done this week.