Caught Being Good

Caught Being GOOD!

So when I worked for a daycare (SUNSHINE, specifically), we had this creative way to get the kiddos (I worked with kindergarten age kids) to make good choices. What parent doesn't want their child making good choices right? We had a "Caught Being Good Box." It was like a treasure chest and all full of fun handouts for the kids. I decided to try it with my kids since they are getting close to that age and one quick afternoon I came up with this...

I just took an empty box I had hanging out in the garage. Covered it with scrapbook paper and printed out a cute little label which I decorated with some ribbon (of course!)

You can print out my label HERE

I filled it with things I found at the dollar store and of course candy. You can't see all the items, some of the bigger things I took out for a better picture. But I found some small books (my daughters FAVORITE thing in the world), some hot wheels cars (boys' favorite), bubbles, sticker packs, candy, you get the idea.

The key is that you tell them you are going to be an extra careful watcher. And when you see a behavior you want them to repeat, you announce (I make a trumpet sound first) that you found _____ caught being good. You tell all the kids, what they did to get caught being good and then you let them pick their prize out of the box.

I keep ours on top of the bookshelf (so they can't reach it) in the living room, so they see it often and are always reminded. Some days during circle time or throughout the day I remind my kids of the kinds of things you can get caught being good for...

♥ first time listening

♥ sharing

♥ playing quietly together

♥ being quiet during quiet time

♥ etc.

At the beginning you give out a lot of prizes, so they get the idea of how to earn them. And then you wean off a little. They shouldn't get a prize every single time, or its more like bribing. You gotta do it sporadically (CLUELESS word of the day anyone?) and of your (the parents) choosing. Never when they ask. This way they never know when it's coming. It's been harder for my 2 year old to grasp that he doesn't get it every time. But the tantrums for not getting one every time he sits and reads quietly during quiet time are getting fewer and farther between. The best thing is though, that he is doing it much more often because he never knows when I'll pull out that box.

If you have a child you really struggle with, make sure you keep your eyes open for all the GOOD things they do. You don't want to favor one child over the other. EVERY child has good qualities, sometimes we just have to look a little harder. My oldest is SUPER easy to find things I love because she is almost ALWAYS reading quietly. My boys, not so much. BUT Luke sure knows how to share toys and make sure everyone is included in games and Hunter is a great helper always trying to chip in whenever he can. So look for those things individually to each kiddo and everyone will enjoy it! ♥