Rewards for Kids!: Ready-To-Use Charts and Activities for Positive Parenting [Paperback]

Virginia M. Shiller (Author), Meg F. Schneider (Author), Bonnie Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003

Finding a way to encourage tots and elementary school children to behave well without resorting to bribery is a parent's number one challenge. In Rewards for Kids! experienced psychologist and child educator Virginia Shiller explains why it works to "catch them doing something good." Reward, not bribery, is the key. Shiller shows parents how to use a variety of child-friendly sticker charts and other tools to reward kids for good behavior. This proven positive-parenting technique has been used to help kids overcome such common behavior problems as bedtime procrastination and sleep disturbances, getting along with siblings or friends, getting ready for school and other events on time, doing chores, and completing homework without fuss. In clear, easy steps, parents will learn how to change their children's problem behavior using an individualized plan that will help each child feel good about their new accomplishments. The many pull-out charts, awards, and certificates are designed for both boys and girls, ensure plenty of variety, and can be personalized by coloring and decorating them with photos and stickers. Now, disciplining kids effectively can become fun and constructive instead of a drudge!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Learning Magazine 2006 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family winner! -- Learning Magazine

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Magination Press; 1 edition (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591470064
• ISBN-13: 978-1591470069
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Activities
  • #94 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Repair

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lifesaver for a Frustrated Parent, June 12, 2003

By 

Yin Yin Hon (San Jose, San Jose Costa Rica) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rewards for Kids!: Ready-To-Use Charts and Activities for Positive Parenting (Paperback)

This book came out a just the right moment for me. I had been having terrible difficulty with my older daughter Maya's bedtime, which was making my life miserable. I heard about this book and how it can help frustrated parents like myself and decided to give it a try. The book is very nicely presented and easy to read, and above all else, extremely practical. The author gives examples of typical problems faced by parents and offers sample "plans" for how to deal with them. For really busy people like myself there are pullout charts and other materials that are ready-to-use. I found one example that was very similar to my situation and used the information provided to develop a plan to get my daughter into bed at a reasonable hour. I couldn't believe how well it worked! I've already picked out the next behavior problem we're going to work on. I highly recommend this book to parents who are looking for a positive, common-sense approach to dealing with their kids' difficult behaviors.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars reveiw, June 17, 2004

By 

Lisa R Fenton (Guilford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rewards for Kids!: Ready-To-Use Charts and Activities for Positive Parenting (Paperback)

As a clinical psychologist and parent of a 6 year old son, I would recommend this book highly to fellow parents, or professionals. It helped me get a fresh perspective on some common behavior problems (like getting kids dressed & out in the morning!) and provided many creative, fun, and positive solutions. It's quite liberating to turn occasions for nagging into games that foster independence and achievement. The book provides many specific ideas, charts and coupons that can be copied and used. I even gave my son's first grade teacher a copy of the book as a gift. She used several of the ideas with great success!

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helping Parents: A Psychologist's View, April 11, 2004

By 

Clara (Middletown, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rewards for Kids!: Ready-To-Use Charts and Activities for Positive Parenting (Paperback)

(...) Dr. Virginia Shiller has addressed the dilemna of adapting effective behavioral techniques to the "wonderful idiosyncratic nature of human beings and the ways that they interact with their environments." Her method is to teach parents how to enter into dialogues with their children so that the Reward Plans they develop are customized to their own families and so that both kids and parents are motivated to give them a try. Instead of simply giving the adults rules to follow, she provides explanations of the underlying principles so that the parents themselves can learn how to address common behavioral problems in a caring and creative manner. Specific examples are given of such common battlegrounds as struggles over bedtimes, picking on siblings, and homework. She describes how to use humor and creativity in order to enlist the cooperation of the children, so that they can become able to experience the rewards of self-control. I liked the emphasis on empowering rather than controlling. In addition, there are lots of cute charts, games, and tokens that are fun to use with kids.

I especially liked Dr. Shiller's discussion of the differences between bribes and rewards. I have already used that in talking with parents. (Though this book is written so that it can be used by the average parent, there is something in it for experienced clnicians, too.) While Dr. Shiller explains the principles in a manner which could instruct a psychology student, she also includes a level of subtlety which is interestting to people who have been doing this for a while. This is a useful and excellent book.