Reward YOURSELF, and YOUR kids, with non-food-related prizes!
Food is a delightful part of life to be enjoyed and celebrated! However, it doesn't have to be the only reward in our lives. It's not that I don't ever use edible rewards, it's just that there are other ways. By using non-food rewards, we can reduce the strong focus of food in our lives.
Often achieving whatever it is you're rewarding yourself for, weight loss or athletic performance success, for example, IS enough of a reward. Still sometimes, early on and even after a long time (when burnout threatens), rewards can hit the spot to keep us going! Rewards can be an effective way to encourage positive behavior in ourselves, as well as in children.
Here are some examples for YOU:
1. Buy yourself FLOWERS, or go pick some from your yard or the wild!
2. Buy a new BOOK, audiobook, or magazine, or borrow something cool from the library!
3. Get a MASSAGE from a salon, your partner/spouse, or have your kids climb all over your back! Plus, this thing is totally AWESOME! Homedics Percussion Massager
4. Get a home FACIAL cream and use it!, or cook a sweet potato, remove skin, mash potato, stir in a 1/4 c plain yogurt, and when cool enough, apply to your face to SMOOTH and MOISTURIZE!
5. Go to a MOVIE at the theatre, or get one from the library!
For your KIDS:
1. Take them to a NEW playground.
2. Find a CRAFT of whatever they desire (robot, zebra, fairy) and make it with them ...use an web image search, and you'll be sure to find an idea that you can do with what you have in your home!
3. Let them CHOOSE a video or show to watch, or an electronic game to play, like Wii or something on the computer.
4. Let them stay up "past their BEDTIME" to do something fun, like play dress up with you!
5. Allow them to invite a friend to come over for a PLAY DATE.
Here are two resources with more ideas from 100 Days of Real Food and from Eat Smart Move More NC! Happy motivation to all!
COMMENTS: How do you treat yourself? Your kids?
3 comments:
Hi, I followed your link from 100 Days...
Just wondering if you have some non-food ideas for rewards/incentives for the hard to please public school student crowd ages 11-14? Video games, TV, comptuer time really isn't a reward to this group, as most families don't put limits on these things in the first place. I am an officer on a middle school PTSA and we usually give out free lunch parties to the Advisory class with the highest Box Top collection rates and due to the new federal school food program mandates, we are nit allowed to use food of any kind as an award. The principal is of no help with ideas, as food has been the only thing used with this age group historically....plus we fear a revolt of some sort as well if our idea is too "lame" ss the students would say.
Thanks for stopping by and reading, Colleen! It's a tough age! Do you have a budget? Perhaps cool pens or journal books, a popular paperback, itunes credit, or do something OUTSIDE, maybe go for a walk around the block (might need permission slip, but it be fun if they are usually inside all day), watch a cool, appropriate new movie (maybe not enough time), some kind of homework pass (perhaps a late-turn in, so the work still gets done), or a pass to get in free at a school dance, sporting event, play, or another performance. Almost anything you do for that age is at risk of being "too lame", but hopefully one of the influential students might like the idea you choose, and you'll be all set! Good luck! Thanks for leaving a comment ;)
I'm sure you'll also find some reward ideas that will work for you on the following lists:
From 100 Days of Real Food:
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Non-Food-Rewards.pdf
From Eat Smart Move More NC:
http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/EatSmartSchoolStds/Texts/rewards_incentives.pdf
Happy motivation to all!
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