SMART

Sometimes people ask me how I teach/control/discipline my boys. For a while now, almost two years, I have used a ticket system that works really well. It's based on the PBS system they use at their school. PBS stands for Positive Behavior Support. In essence, they teach acceptable behavior then reward the kids for displaying those good behaviors, with the idea that with the attention focused on rewarding the good, it will eventually diminish the bad. I was a part of the PBS Core Team as the parent representative and I was really excited to be included. I attended the training and was able to hear all the theory behind it. Good stuff! I have to say it works too.

To teach PBS, the schools use a 3 to 5 letter acronym, in this case SMART. It stands for Safe, Motivated, Accountable, Respectful, and Trustworthy. You put those words into a matrix, and then add differents locations in the school, and you show what it looks like to be Respectful in the Library (no ripping or writting on books). Motivated in the Hallways would be going directly back to class after dropping off the attendance, etc.

I have transferred this to our home and the kids love it. I give them tickets when I see them being SMART to each other (Respectful to brothers means using polite words to work out problems), or SMART about chores (Motivated to make their beds or clean up their room). At the end of the week, we open the ticket shop. They can buy treats, coupons, crafts or toys with the tickets they've earned. The boys love the ticket shop. We stopped for awhile, because I got lazy and we all were busy with summer, but they have been asking for the Ticket shop to come back, so now we're starting up again. I have added a new piece this year. When they do their homework, they get a ticket that they can immediately trade in for a gumball. The ticket still goes in the box to be spent at the shop later.

A friend at church suggested putting tickets on certain chores I want done, to give them an opportunity to earn more. Love it! I am all set to start again in earnest and I hope to see that positive behavior soaring!