The Hidden Dangers of Using Rewards to Motivate Children (& What You Can Do Instead!)

One of the earliest pieces of parenting advice I got was this: “You just have to find your child’s currency, and then ‘good’ behavior will follow.” And at the time, I thought it was decent advice; sticker charts and treats are pretty innocent, right? And rewards are better than punishments, aren’t they? Well, as it turns out, rewards aren’t as innocent as they seem.   In today’s episode, I dive into using rewards with our kids. Do rewards really work to change a child’s behavior? What are there risks associated with using rewards in parenting? And if you’re not going to use rewards to motivate your child, what can you do instead? I answer all of these questions and more in this week’s episode.   Here’s the thing: Rewards aren’t as harmless as they seem; they’re actually very similar to punishments, and in the long-term, they aren’t very effective. But the good news is that you can absolutely motivate your child in other, more organic ways (that don’t cost you anything and actually work long-term!). And after listening to today’s episode, you’ll know how to do that.   Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/   FREE Mindset Shifts to Ditch the Overwhelm & Parent in a Way That Feels GOOD!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset   Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching

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Parenting is the hardest job ever – and parenting a highly sensitive child who’s struggling can feel downright impossible. If you’re suffering through endless meltdowns and aggressive behaviors, walking on eggshells, and losing sleep worrying, you’ve landed in the right place. Because I’m here to help you feel GOOD about parenting your sensitive kid with big emotions! I’m Dr. Hilary – clinical psychologist and mom of 3 helping you end the constant meltdowns and reclaim peace in your home. Join me each week on the Raised Resilient Podcast as I help you make sense of your sensitive child’s challenging behaviors & build resilience in the face of their big emotions. I’ll help you understand your child’s behavior (and your reactions to it!) so that even the really hard moments make more sense. I’ll empower you with tools, strategies, and scripts to navigate those really hard moments with connection and confidence. (And I’ll remind you that no tool, strategy, or script is as powerful as your parenting ace – your relationship with your child!) I’m passionate about parenting differently – parenting in a way that sees all kids as good, even when they’re struggling. I’m passionate about breaking unhelpful generational cycles and putting a hard stop to spanking, time outs, shaming, and yelling -- for all kids and especially for sensitive kids with big emotions. I want to help you stop worrying about whether you’re “raising them right” and feel confident that your kids will grow up trusting themselves and feeling comfortable in their skin … because they were raised resilient. And that’s big. Because raising our kids resilient can literally make this world a better place. Listen, parenting is hard no matter how you do it. You won’t “enjoy every moment”, no matter what that lady at the store says. But I’m here to help you go from just barely surviving with to parenting in a way that genuinely feels good, for you and your child. So, warm up your coffee and grab your ear buds. It’s time to turn your child’s sensitivity into their SUPERPOWER! Connect with me: https://www.raisedresilient.com/ IG: @raisedresilient Get your Free Mastering for Sensitive Kids Meltdowns Guide: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns Take my free QUIZ to see if you’ve got a sensitive kid: https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz Book your free Breakthrough Session! https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough