These practical strategies are helpful:

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1) Weekly planners.

2) Daily planners.

2) Success charts (focus on success and use 'experiences' as rewards). 

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Break down a big task into small steps (mini steps), such as dinner and bed.

 

Involve the child when preparing and teaching the chart tool.

 

Process

Create a chart that collects all the essential evening tasks, those 'things' that your child should do for an effective family evening schedule, and provide a sticker when completed. Draw the steps with easy post-i's, no need for amazing drawings. 

 

This is very different than a 'reward' chart as you are not rewarding an expected behaviour, you are celebrating the child's process of choosing and thinking that goes behind each task and allows for the task to be completed effectively and successfully towards a specific goal (e.g., timely dinner and cleaned teeth). 

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The success chart consistently shows the child how to go places, from A to B, through thinking about the best mini steps and options and choosing the best steps with choices that give some self-control.

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success charts

It is critical to create a success chart with the child.

• Include your children in selecting the task, drawing or choosing images for them.                

• Any small changes? Add as you go. 

• Can children choose the order? Let them! If you can let go of any choice, please do. Offer the choice if possible.                               

• Add colours? Let the child use markers or crayons to add details.

• Give choices for HOW steps get done, not IF. For example, will we brush our teeth with the electric brush or the manual brush? 

• Connect the success chart to the weekly planner, as those mini steps allow the planner to happen successfully. 

 

Other possible questions to include your child in the process.

Which step do you want to do first?

Where should we keep the chart?

Do you want to start the steps before .... or after....?

Time to start…should we start the chart in 3 or 5 minutes? 

Which song should we sing before starting our chart? Baby Shark or Row Row?

 

It is critical to narrate and describe the chart when checking it.

• Tell the story of the child doing these steps, with details (how they completed the task): make it like a story…it’s fun!

• Let the child add details, add colours… as you tell the story.

• Specifically praise choices about a successful mini-step (frequent, immediate, and detailed).

• Specifically praise the child’s CHOOSING & THINKING.