How to reward your kid without using junk food
Treasure chest from Party Cheap.
By Aimee Heckel
We wonder why so many kids have unhealthy relationships with food, and then we reward them with a big block of fat and sugar, essentially glorifying that which is unhealthy for you.
We’re not trying to be a party pooper, and we’re certainly not saying cake and ice cream should be exchanged for carrots and celery at your kid’s next birthday party.
But we are suggesting maybe the sugar not be the biggest focus.
At least on the day-to-day.
Your kid comes home from school with an A on his English paper. Instead of buying him a candy bar or taking him out for ice cream, consider these healthier reward ideas:
1. Pick something out of the treasure box. This great idea came from the blogger 100 Days of Real Food.
Pick up a treasure box at a party-supply store, like Party Cheap, for about $6. Then fill it with tons of goodies: pencils, art supplies, stickers, jewelry, small toys — Party Cheap even sells “treasure loot” for $5.59. When you want to reward your kid, let him pick any item from the box. Make it even more exciting by having his close his eyes and pick, or by individually wrapping each item.
Check out these Party Cheap coupons to save you more money on these already-discounted party supplies.
2. Give out stars with a shopping reward. Think about how excited kids get over a cheap little Army man toy, if they can buy it with a handful of tickets at the amusement park. Part of the excitement is the anticipation, and the feeling of saving and earning.
Start your own system with a piece of paper and stars. Hang the paper on your kid’s bedroom wall and whenever he does something extra special, award him a star. Equate each star to a quarter value, and let him decide when he wants to “cash out” and buy anything of his choice online, at a store like Party Cheap, Walmart or even iTunes, if he is older.
Not only does this reward him, but it teaches him about saving, delayed gratification and priorities. And by using online coupons and pairing the with Cash Back from ShopAtHome.com, you can teach him about smart bargain hunting, too.
3. Reward him with activities, not things. Let’s face it; kids get bored of things quickly, and then they just become something else that you have to dust around. Instead of giving your kid a new toy or food, offer an activity reward: an hour of bike-riding, a boat ride, a fishing trip up the canyon, an afternoon at the lake or simply 30 minutes at the park.
Then your child will associate hard work and success with feeling good and getting active, not wigging out on a sugar rush and then feeling yucky.
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