Lessons Learned from a Dog by One Homeschool Mom

I recently learned a valuable parenting lesson from a dog—no, seriously. Before you scroll past, hear me out. I was at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky (if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it!) for the release of Seeds’ new VBS music. While waiting in the lobby, I struck up a conversation with a K9 security guard. My daughter, Ruth, couldn’t take her eyes off the security dog, clearly wanting to pet her but holding back because of the “Do not pet” sign.

Eventually, we learned the dog’s name was Maya, and we asked if we could take a photo with her. The handler tried to get Maya to look for the picture, but she wouldn’t cooperate. Then, he grabbed a red ball with a rope attached and handed it to me. Instantly, Maya was laser-focused on the ball, her energy completely redirected. After we snapped the photo, the handler gave Maya the ball, and she was in pure bliss.

The handler explained that Maya had been trained to associate playing with the ball as a reward. From the time she was a puppy until now, the simple act of playing with that ball was her motivation. It got me thinking on the drive back to Nashville: how often do I overcomplicate things with my kids? I sometimes think they need big rewards, complicated charts, or the latest parenting “system” to stay motivated. But what if the reward could be as simple as that red ball?

Now, I’m not suggesting we give our kids a ball when they’re good (though the thought of it made me laugh). But I do believe that, in our own unique families, there are simple, meaningful ways to encourage good behavior without setting the bar too high. When rewards are simple and low-expectation, they’re easier to maintain—and when our kids grow up, they won’t expect constant “treats” for every accomplishment.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “train up a child in the way they should go,” and we need to take that training seriously. But let’s be mindful of how we go about it. Thanks, Maya, for teaching me this important lesson.

Need a couple ideas? See if any of the following could work in your family:

• Give them extra playtime outside or extra time indoors with a favorite game.
• Let them choose the meal that night for dinner.
• Get a simple sticker collection they can add to when they are extra helpful.
• Let them stay up a little later than normal.
• Buy a roll of tickets from your local store and hand out tickets for extra good behavior or just for getting chores done. Set a predetermined reward based off of a certain amount of tickets turned in. Let the child accumulate large amounts for a bigger prize or turn in a few for something simple, such as no chores that day. Remember the key is keeping simple.
• Brag on their good behavior to a family member and have that family member call the child and encourage them for their good behavior.