Ideas for rewards/motivation

August 29, 2009

Hi all -this is a random post , since there has been so much about rewards and

building motivation lately. This is not necessarily about stickers or charts -

it is about your individual child. We have done SO much ERP therapy, that we

have had to be very creative. There is much ERP that she'll do with small

rewards, but for big or scary ones, sometimes, she needs just the right thing,

and she'll go from " absolutely not " , to a pretty cheerful acceptance of doing

the exposure.

Let me start by saying that my husband and I have very little price left! We

will do almost anything that will motivate her. As an example, I have a happy

dance that I do, which we have used in a variety of ways. It's a very goofy

dance that involves some butt wiggling & a lot of leg movement in awkward

positions! (Yes, it is not flattering!) I did this dance on a public street, in

a restaurant of people I did not know, in front of a good friends husband (to

his great amusement) and in front of my entire office (that one was for 10 times

of a really hard exposure). She loved this reward, and it got us through a very

difficult time and added some humor and fun into our life.

Another period had her dad eating " gross " things that Meg would make up. This

included hot sauce droped on his tongue (one drop!), butter, and some gross (but

not unhealthy) food mixes.

Other prizes have been games with mom & dad, play dates, movie nights, an extra

book at bedtime, extra TV time (she only gets 30 mintues a day to start), extra

computer time - one huge exposure that was very important, earned her 2 full

days of unlimited game/TV time.

We often ask her what she would like for an exposure - giving her some control

can really work. sometimes we have to bargin a little or set parameters by

giving her 3 choices, or she picks the prize & I say how many points, etc.

Anyway, the point is to just find the thing that is important to your child -

and asking them is usually the best start.

Hope this is helpful - in NC.

Recommended Posts