Worth starting a sticker chart for 21mo?

[slatternlymother]

DS has started acting out at bath times, would it be worth starting a sticker reward chart and giving him a sticker whenever he doesn't fuss? Do you think he'd get it?

He does seem to understand a lot of what I talk about, and can carry out sets of instructions like 'go downstairs and sit on your chair to wait for mummy'. So he's fairly switched on.

Has anyone tried this with such a young child?

I'm going to start one with my 22mo next week (we are not at home at the moment).

She is at the same level of understanding as your DS wrt to following instructions and she also seems to be starting to make choices e.g do you want to go outside? - yes/no.

So I'm going to have a go, I'm also heartened that it might work because she has been bribed tempted to behave with chocolate buttons as a reward, so I want to get onto stickers before I end up with a rod for my back .

Oh and my NDN was using a reward chart with her DD at 18mo, so I have known it work with younger DC.

I spent ages making one for DS, cutting out pics from his cbeebies mag etc but he didn't get the concept of a sticker as a reward, probably because he spent so long just generally sticking, he couldn't understand why they were being rationed. He was 2 at the time. I might try again now his nearer 3.

Thank you

Where does everyone get their stickers? I want some transport stickers for ds, as he spends a lot of time pointing out screaming 'digger', 'car', 'bus', 'lorry' etc when we're out and about

My DS is 2.3 and he just doesn't understand the concept of a reward chart. I think you'll be lucky to get a 22 month old to 'get it'.

Agree with Olympic. And you risk introducing it too early, so that by the time it is genuinely useful... they are bored and sick of it. Best wait for at least 6 months. At least.

At this age, it's just got to be firmness with a good dollup of patience.

The reward techniques are best saved for a little later

Where does one get this patience?

I will need a large bottle .

Probably 2

i don't think so
dd2 is the same age and would probably eat it
dd1 was pretty advance with getting abstract concepts like this, but i think she was only ready for one at about 3. in the meantime, we're doing lots and lots of immediate praise, and trying our best to ignore all the frequent and highly annoying stuff

ds is just 2 and would not get it. He doesn't even get, the longer it takes to get pjs on, the less time for stories. When they are upset and tired out from a whole day of learning and practicing stuff, they just get out of control upset.

Maybe try moving bath a bit earlier if you can? Ds got his canines (for ages) at this age and it really seemed to bother him and add to the meltdowns.