It's Report Card Time

My oldest baby girl, Hannah, brought home her second report card today and she had another {AWESOME} report! ALL A's and one B++! {WOW} We are so very proud of her! This is her first year of middle school, which was a {huge} transition for her and she has really proven herself. She's worked so... hard for this and she has so... earned these grades! I'm {so} proud of her.

In the past, {AWESOME} report cards have always left me wondering how to "reward" our children for their performance. Do you give gifts, hold celebrations or use simple praise. I've tired all of these in the past and none of these ideas seemed to be better than the other nor have they led to continued achievement.

Just recently, I changed things up a little and decided to be more {spontaneous}, praise all effort, and de-emphasize grades to a degree. We don't tell Hannah or the other children what type of reward if any they will or may receive. If I tell them in advance, they tend to lose interest in the reward. We continuously praise all of our children for their concentration, hard work and effort. They love to be recognized and realize we are acknowledging and appreciating their individual intelligences. We also try to praise our children for their careful test preparation and commend them when they use their time wisely. They need to realize that grades are important, but they should also enjoy learning. If they put the joy of learning first, they will have a strong educational foundation that they can continue to build upon. "Good" grades will come!

The above plan seems to be working really well for us! I love, love, love being spontaneous and praising my children! It's the best and they ARE THE {BEST}!