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Behavior Contracts
What Can They Do for You?
An Interview with Mark Kichler, President of KidsContracts, Inc.
By Shel Franco
that parents talk with the child, review the contract with them and then follow through with the consequences. If parents fail to impose the penalty outlined in the contract, then the contracts will no longer be of any use.
MK: The idea for KidsContracts began 10 years ago when I had disagreements about allowance with my children, Brian and Sara. I developed an agreement with simple weekly allowance coupons that were prepared annually on their birthday. All disagreements about allowance immediately stopped, as the kids became responsible for managing their own money with the use of the coupons. We still use that allowance system for my daughter who is now a senior in high school.
Driving can be a life and death issue for teenagers; the American Academy of Pediatrics states that, "motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in people age 16 to 20." When my kids started to drive – because of a real fear for their safety – I wrote a driving contract that spelled out the family rules and very severe consequences if those rules were broken. It is now almost six years later and neither child has ever had a ticket, been seen driving recklessly or without a seatbelt, never been seen under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and only one child has had an accident, which was just a minor fender-bender.
