"I caught you doing good!" Jar

When first introducing the concept of the jar to the child, it is a good idea to explain what it is for, while also keeping the narrative positive. You may wish to say something like,

Lately I have been noticing what a wonderful job you have been doing all on your own. I have seen that you have been working very hard to improve your actions and behaviours. In fact, because you have been doing such a good job it has been hard for me to keep track! I am going to use this jar to help remind us of all the good things you are doing. Each time I catch you doing something good for yourself or someone else, I am going to give you a pompom to add to this jar. When it is full we will do something special together, as a family, to celebrate all of your hard work and accomplishments.
What would you like to do together once the jar is full?

You may wish to make suggestions based on your child's interests to give them a little inspiration, but ultimately let the decision be theirs. In the beginning it is best to aim to fill the jar quickly, by trying to 'catch' them often. This may sound impossible, but trust me once that first pompom goes into the jar they will be motivated to add more! Filling the jar within the first week is a great starting point. This will allow the child to see the benefits of their positive-actions, while also empowering them to continue to use all of the strengths they have, both of which will motivate them moving forward. As they become more familiar with the concept you can increase the size of the jar or decrease the size of the pompoms, so that it takes longer to fill. Whatever you decide, just be sure to keep the focus only on the positive behaviours.