There are some days when procrastination hits hard and concentrating is an alien concept. And when you’re a parent trying your best to homeschool your kids, it can often feel like you’re swimming against the tide. Maybe they’re distracted, perhaps they’re bored, they don’t understand or they’re too tired to comprehend why ‘Katy has 7 sweets and Dylan only has 4’. It’s clear that homeschooling isn’t for the fainthearted.
Coming up with some simple incentives to encourage and reward your children for all their hard work is a simple yet highly effective way to make homeschooling a little easier for everyone. All children respond differently to incentives like these, so make sure the one you choose is beneficial for your child’s learning. Read on for some homeschooling incentives to reward and encourage your little learners.
Pocket money toys
Little gifts and children’s toys from Wicked Uncle are a great place to start. From yoyos and mini figurines to sticker books, puzzles, bubble wands and creative toys. The prospect of something new to play with is sometimes all it takes to encourage your child to pay a little more attention, or the perfect way to reward your child for completing another full week of homeschooling. Try a ‘Lucky Dip’ or let them choose in advance so they know what they’re working towards.
More free time
Working hard on their school assignments will be much easier if they know they have additional free time at the end of it. This clever incentive is a great reward for hard work, or if your child is struggling to concentrate you can offer them some additional free time after they’ve completed their current task. Giving you both plenty of time to reset and refresh before tackling those mathematical problems again.
Additional screen time
TV, tablet, smartphone, laptop or games console – whether they want to scroll, play or stream, rewarding your child with additional screen time is an incentive that always goes down well. If they finish a task independently or within a certain time frame then offering additional screen time will show that hard work is always rewarded.
Sticker charts
You can’t go wrong with a classic. If your home learner is a little younger, then something as simple as a sticker chart can be enough to encourage and inspire them to try a little harder and push themselves. All you’ll need is a sheet of paper and a collection of colourful stickers.
Do something fun
Sometimes doing a task that is out of their normal routine is exciting enough to encourage and reward their efforts. Perhaps at the end of a homeschooling day, you could suggest baking a cake together, or playing a board game. These are also great ways to sneak an additional lesson into the day!
Final thoughts… It’s important to remember that you’re rewarding your children with these incentives, not bribing them to do their work! Whatever incentive idea you choose, remember to stick with it so your children know that their hard work isn’t going unnoticed.
