Create A Brag Center

Kids thrive on recognition: heck, we ALL thrive on recognition. Create an area in your home, that is in a highly visible location, for a brag center: a place where you will display good grades received and awards earned. Your kids need to be rewarded for all of their hard work and accomplishments. When they can see how far they have come it will motivate them to continue to do well.

First find a great location. The kitchen is always good because everyone spends time in there. A pantry door, the refrigerator, or even a lower cupboard door all work well. Other places I have had brag centers are on utility doors and coat closets - anywhere works well, just make sure it's in a place that is visible by all in the home.

Second, design a fun "poster" to put at the top of your brag center. Every year I would get a piece of paper and either draw or print out "The Cheney Brag Center" along with the year that we were bragging about. I would tape this at the top of the selected area to show that this is where all of our papers would be going that year.

Third: wait. As soon as your child comes home with an outstanding grade or an award that they had won in the classroom, put that baby on display! Even fun and unusual art projects are fun to ad to the collection along with extra curricular activity achievements. Showcase it for the world to see. Let them have a moment of pride as they share, and admire, their hard work.

I did this idea for most of my kids' growing up years. Even when Jess was in High School, and Jeff was living at home attending College, I would place their awards and exceptional papers on display for all to see. You would be amazed at how excited even my older children got when they came home with something they felt worthy of the brag center.

We all need pats on the back once in a while. School is harder than ever these days and our kids are working hard to do well. Give them a moment to shine as they share their accomplishments.