Customer Reviews

Be A Star Rewards Chart

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

. . . but the execution/value for the price is horrible.

This "fillable" reward chart is well designed (although it could actually be a bit bigger as the movable stars - especially if you're working with more than one child/star - are too large for the "steps" up and down) and the concept is dead on.

However, come on now - $25!!!!!! It's a very flimsy piece of laminated (I'd guess 100 lb) paper with four also flimsy stars and an erasable marker. At that price, I expected the whole thing to be magnetic. The four small magnets on the back (to affix it to a refrigerator which is my family's choice) barely suffice.

I'm not the type to make something like this on my own, but if you have any talent to do so, I'd suggest you save the $25 . The retail on this shouldn't be more than $7 - 8.

I have two daughters -- ages 9 and 6 -- and this simple but powerful behavior management "game" has helped me make our household a more peaceful place. Visually, it is easy to follow -- each child's marker moves up or down a path depending on their behavior. The instructions that come with the game are clear-cut and easy to follow. There is no room for negotiation or whining about what's fair -- otherwise the marker moves down the pathway. My girls love that they get to choose their rewards and have come up with some very fun and sometimes "free" treats -- for example, having breakfast for dinner, setting up picnic-dinner in front of the TV, or going on a "date" with mom or dad. I no longer need to raise my voice or ask them to do something over and over again. I let the chart do the talking and once they see their markers move downward, they shape up without another word. OK, there were some tears the first few times their markers were moved down, but that phase was very brief. My girls quickly saw that if they shaped up their behavior, they could regain some or all of the points they lost.

The game board has recently been remade and is now very durable and easy to maintain. The childrens' markers on this new version are easy to move, but do not slide around when not in use. The dry-erase board makes it easy to update rewards and consequences.

Overall, we've been using this chart for 1 1/2 years and its still as effective as is was the first week.

The "Be a Star!" rewards chart has been a really successful tool for me with my 4-year-old. His behavior was getting pretty unmanageable sometimes, and I felt like I needed something to steer him straight. Time-outs were of little consequence, and I was tired of the constant threatening (you won't get 'this' or 'that' if you keep doing that, etc.). This chart came highly recommended (although I agree, it's way overpriced), so I decided to give it a try.

My son and I sat down and discussed what the rewards would be, and he got very excited at the prospect of earning them. And I told him what the consequences should be if he lost ten points. I have tried very hard (with mostly success!) not to use any other behavior tools -- we don't do time-outs anymore (unless there is a HUGE breach), and I raise my voice much less than I was before. I simply take points away.

Because my son is very competitive and very into games, he has responded very well to this tool. My one big complaint about it is that because a child has to lose ten points before they face a consequence, it gives them an awful lot of chances to mess up before they are "punished". We have worked around this by taking away multiple points for big offenses. My other complaint is that a child can manipulate the game by purposely doing nice (but maybe not genuine) things just for the purpose of earning points. As another parent said, it's kind of handy that point-earning and point-deducting behaviors are not specifically listed. That way, the parent can make the call about when and how many points are given (or taken away) based on circumstance.

One real upshot of the chart, I have found, is that it really makes you give positive comments more often (positive reinforcement). You realize when you are always taking points away that we can all fall into "nag" mode, where we only point out the bad behavior. This tool, in the interest of helping your child earn points, really does make you stop and give compliments about behavior that is good and behavior that is important to you.

I would strongly recommend this tool for young ones. The physical chart itself is nothing to write home about (it's folded during shipment so doesn't lay straight, not great quality to be honest), but the concept has been hugely helpful in our family.

Happy disciplining!

I have have three young children at home so I was willing to give this game a try. We had worked through sticker charts and other vehicles before, but none have been nearly as successful as BE A STAR. The kids love seeing their own progression as well as that of their siblings and in many ways compete to see who can be the "best behaved". Not knowing exactly what will earn or reduce points helps as well as they can't manipulate the system. As a parent, it has also made a positive impact on how I deal with the kids during both positive and negative experiences. It is very important to remain consistent with the game to keep the kids (and yourself) on point, but if you do, you'll be rewarded with tremendously positive behavioral differences from both the children and yourself.

The Be a Star rewards chart and program is a must have. This system of positive reinforcement has completely changed the dynamic in our household. My twins used to fight like cats & dogs, now they are so eager to reach the "happy star" that all I have to say is stop fighting or you will lose a point. Usually, the fighting stop immediately. Getting ready for bed was a nightmare in our house, now if the boys get into pajamas, brush their teeth, & use the bathroom without being asked twice they get three points. What used to be a nightmare has turned into a pleasant dream. I can not say enough positive things about the Be a Star rewards chart.

I've used the star rewards chart for my kids and it really works. The kids equate good / bad behavior to moving up and down on the chart - and they have become excited by it. its a great way to recognize small behavior (move up/ down 1 space) or excellent behavior (up or down multiple spaces).

After trying screaming, threatening, bribing, etc etc this was finally effective and EASY in helping my children master basic behaviors such as sleeping alone, cleaning their rooms, feeding their pets, etc. We all got into it and saw results in less than one week. Dr. Lipkins is a genius!
-doctor mom