Later on in LUNA, there will be different activities your child will need to complete, which will usually involve facing their fears to overcome them. Completing these activities and facing fears every week is not easy, and sometimes it is very difficult to make these changes. If you find that your child is running low on motivation or if they are getting discouraged while facing their fears, that is completely okay! Remember, your child is doing something hard, so it may be helpful for them to have a motivation booster or reward for all their hard work!
Motivation boosters can help motivate your child through a challenge or reward them after one! When facing something scary, your child may be more motivated to keep going if they know that they will receive something they are looking forward to afterwards.
Motivation boosters can also provide support after doing something really challenging. Feeling supported and cared for is important, especially when your child is working to face their fears. For example, activities such as spending quality time with your child, taking them to get their favorite dessert, or giving them extra time to relax with their favorite video game, may help your child feel cared for and supported after doing something difficult.
Motivation Boosters (Rewards)
In LUNA, we will usually refer to rewards as motivation boosters to better encompass all the different ways your child can be encouraged to keep going. For instance, rewards or motivation boosters do not have to be gifts or physical items. They do not even need to cost money. Especially as kids get older, they may benefit from creating their own motivation boosters to reward themselves for their hard work. If your child enjoys music from a certain artist, something as simple as giving themselves time to relax and listen to the artist’s new record could be considered a motivation booster.
But before we continue discussing the different ways to keep your child motivated, we want to address some common myths about using rewards.
For each of these statements, decide whether you think it is a myth or a fact. Then, reveal the answer.
Tips for Motivation Boosters (Rewards)
Now, let’s go over some motivation booster tips and some different ways to keep your child feeling motivated and supported.
Indirect Motivation Boosters
Now, let’s talk a little bit more about direct versus indirect motivation boosters.
If you and your child decide to use indirect motivation boosters, your child will earn a different number of points for each exposure activity they complete. The number of points they earn will be based on how difficult the activity is. Once your child earns enough points, they can use them to receive different rewards from their Motivation Booster List.
You can help your child create this list by thinking about what would help motivate them on this journey and how they can feel supported and taken care of after completing a hard task.
Here is an example of Sophia and George’s Motivation Boosters. When they earn enough points, they look at their list of Motivation Boosters and pick which reward they would like to spend their points on.
Your child will work on creating their own list of Motivation Boosters, and you can help them! You may either review the list your child comes up with or lead the process with your child’s help. Save this Motivation Booster worksheet on your device so you can fill it out and have it easily accessible. Or you can make your own list using a piece of paper if you’d like.
Make sure your child has motivation boosters that are worth a smaller number of points and ones that are worth more points. Remember, you can always revisit and update the rewards and how many points they are worth if needed.
When using indirect motivation boosters, it’s helpful to make sure your child knows that they have earned points immediately after they complete an exposure activity.
Direct Motivation Boosters
If you and your child decide to use direct motivation boosters, your child will be rewarded directly after they complete an exposure activity, instead of exchanging points for a reward. If this sounds more intuitive to you, then you can help your child create a Motivation Booster list without assigning points to each reward. Make sure your child has both smaller and bigger motivation boosters to go with easier and harder tasks.
Again, save this Motivation Booster worksheet on your device so that you can fill it out and help your child come up with different rewards.
Throughout LUNA, you may choose to use only direct motivation boosters, only indirect ones, or a combination of both based on whatever works best for you and your child.
If your child or teen is organized and is often motivated by working their way towards bigger goals, then indirect motivation boosters may be a good option for them. If your child or teen has difficulty waiting for a reward, or if they would like to give themselves a reward right after completing a difficult task, then direct motivation boosters may be a better option. Regardless of what you decide to do, make sure to be consistent, set clear expectations for your child, and follow through with your plan.
