The Achievement Tree: Combating Disobedience in Your Children
The Achievement Tree is a fun and simple game created by Esther Egea Sánchez, Ph.D. in Psychology. It’s a method based on routines that aim to increase children’s self-esteem, as well as to combat disobedience. In this way, we’ll be able to achieve good behavioral habits.
It’s a very visual game that children love. And, at the same time, they’re establishing routines without even realizing it. Would you like to know how to work with this game at home? Keep reading and you’ll see how this game can help to combat child disobedience.
The Achievement Tree: a game of routines for children
This game is suitable for children from 3 to 10 years of age. It’s been successful in helping children to achieve their own personal achievements and increase their self-esteem.
By using this method, you’ll avoid having to tell your children to do their chores time and time again. They’ll start to do them on their own, and doing the daily chores will become a game for everyone.
How does the “achievement tree” game work?
The game consists of a magnetic board with a tree drawn on one side and a blackboard on the other. It also has some magnetized apples, with daily life routines written on them, along with some animal stickers, stars, and rubber bands.
Step by step:
- On the tree, you’ll place the apples (the achievements) that your child has obtained. For example, “I brush my teeth after dinner“, “I dress myself“, “I pee and poop in the potty.“
- At the base of the tree, you place the apples that represent the routines you want your child to achieve. Each day that our child performs that task, the apple moves along the dotted path until it finally reaches the branches of the tree itself.
- When the apple has reached the tree of achievements, the child gets a star to place in the title.
- This game also takes into account consistency. The child should then aim to maintain their achievement for a certain period of time (one week works well). If the child achieves this, then they receive a sticker of a small animal.
- After achieving this, the child goes on to the next challenge. You mustn’t forget to write down their achievements in the notebook!
Esther Egea Sánchez, the creator of this game, recommends starting with the simplest routines. Each day that the child completes the task, the apple advances along the dotted path. In addition to this, they need to maintain those they’ve already achieved.
We should encourage the child with words of positive reinforcement. “It’s important not to fall into the trap of criticism and not to scold,” explains Esther Egea. Not all routines require the same amount of time or the same dedication.
Benefits of the “achievement tree” for children
This activity has many advantages for children’s development, besides being a lot of fun and helping parents to teach their children. Would you like to know about the benefits it can bring to your children? Here are some of them.
Increases self-esteem
When the children manage to achieve the task, and see that they’ve done it themselves, then their self-esteem will be reinforced.
Creates better habits
Brushing their teeth, going to bed early, tying their shoelaces, eating vegetables, washing their hands, eating on their own and quickly, etc. These are routines that will help them acquire healthy habits.
Stimulates autonomy
The children will realize that they can do things on their own, and will need less and less help from you.
Increases motivation
As the children achieve goals on their own, they’ll want to keep working to achieve new ones.
Develops family communication
As the children do the tasks well and achieves the goals, the parents will feel happy and content. For this reason, it won’t be necessary to get at them the whole time and tell them off. This will favor the family relationship and communication.
Combat disobedience
This game is based around helping the children to behave well. If the children feel cared for and valued, then they won’t feel the need to draw attention to themselves by misbehaving. In this way, we’ll be helping to prevent disobedience.
As you’ve seen, the “achievement tree” is a fantastic tool to have at home. Besides being fun, it’ll help your child to develop, and help you as you bring them up. Teaching your children can be fun and enriching for the whole family.
