This week's episode is all about gamification, and how to add fun and value to the more mundane tasks of an ordinary day. We talk about some varied methods of interactive point systems and how to apply them to incentivise each other to achieve greatness and be rewarded. On the flip side, gamification can create bad habits as well, especially when it comes to technology. Listen in!
This week's episode is all about gamification, and how to add fun and value to the more mundane tasks of an ordinary day. We talk about some varied methods of interactive point systems and how to apply them to incentivise each other to achieve greatness and be rewarded. On the flip side, gamification can create bad habits as well, especially when it comes to technology. Listen in!
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In Gratitude,
Rachael Laya & Cyla Grace Hoffman
[1:01] Hi guys, Hey everybody, we are back with another episode as she sounds like me Thanks for joining us, everybody. Thank you.
Hello, today we're talking about some gamification because gamification makes everything better.
Well, I happen to have a bit of a competitive child.
I don't know if you know her. I'm right here.
Hello? Yes. Olaf over here.
Yes, You have a little bit of a competitive streak sometimes you say so myself, if you do so, if you do so, so so so yourself.
Uh yeah, which is interesting because you're not really a sports player.
I used to think competitive spirit was sports.
Yes, sports driven. I thought it was a gamification was sports minded mentality how you strategize on a field or in a court or and then you win first place trophy. Yeah.
And that kids were competitive in their sport. It wasn't until I had you that you realized that could be true in some cases and not true in other because I am not a very,
sporty person, but you are sporty.
I mean, I don't play sports, You don't play team sports will say that your interest is more in dance and.
[2:31] Write another artistic athletic fields, but not necessarily team sports, like baseball or softball or soccer, whatever across you have played soccer.
I played soccer for a couple of seasons when you're really young, like five or six maybe.
Yeah, but I think your interest lead you elsewhere. And I guess I just didn't think that competitive.
[2:56] Ness would still sit within you. But it's been there since the beginning and I think that's something you can unlearn and it's your very driven in that way. You like to be first.
You like to be, there is no doubt, okay. If I can be first, I'm going to be first.
You prefer to be first correct. You uh like to be a top of your class or your list or whatever, whatever it is, you really like to do the best job you can,
and impress either yourself, others, your teachers, your coaches, me dad.
[3:35] Um, your family and I, um, I'm proud of you for that.
I don't know if we taught you that or you're just born with that. Do you think you're born with it or you think you learn it?
Born with it? You think you're born with it with competitiveness? I was born with hair too.
Yes, Yes. You were a lot of it and a lot of competitiveness, a competitive spirit.
Yeah. I don't know how that is ingrained in us as humans, but what I thought was a sports driven,
characteristic has turned out to not be and you impressed me with it all the time, but it's also something we've learned how to harness.
[4:17] And use to gamify things that are challenges, correct?
Like you're sadan ist, right? And like school and we'll talk about all these things today and home in this episode because I think once I learned how to unlock these challenging experiences,
and gamify them.
I'm doing them. Yeah. You get stoked about him.
I do it right? And so we'll talk through those things today for our listeners and even for you side, do you know what it means to gamify something like to make it fun or to have a reward for it?
Maybe. Yeah, that's a good way to put it. So it's like rewards or points driven,
um, or in some cases money driven incentive to do better or be consistent or what have you.
So if you at home have a chore chart for instance, or a lot of people have an allowance right every day.
If they complete their chores they may get a dollar amount or maybe they get a quarter.
Maybe they get a dollar. Maybe they get a point. Maybe those points add up to something at the end. They can redeem them for something that's making a game out of something that wouldn't normally be a game like our house.
[5:40] If I do my chores or I do a podcast to redo an audition or I book something,
I get a certain number of points and when I have a certain number of points, I can buy something that's like a new family game, asleep over,
a yes day, right?
Or a full day of Of TV because TV is like 75 and yesterday is 100 points. Right?
So once you get a certain number of points, you can kind of buy something with your points.
Anything. What was helpful in that situation because you do a great job of your daily tasks and your responsibilities, right?
You, you've got to unpack and pack your bags, whether it's dance or unpacking your lunchbox.
What are some other things that you do that you've got to do on a daily basis, feed my pets. And I don't normally remember to do that. And you have to tell me to write, what are some other things I pick out my outfit for the morning.
I um make my lunch, pick up your room, brush my teeth.
Um I make my bed put my stuff away where it came from charge. My school's my school. I've had Do my homework already and we need for 20 minutes.
[6:59] So all of those acquire points, but they're kind of expected anyway.
It's like if you do all of your responsibilities without being asked to, you get a point for the day, but you can also be awarded surprise points for going above and beyond.
Right? So points for doing auditions or podcasts.
Right. Well we give you an incentive for those as well because that's going that's work above and beyond your daily responsibilities.
And I believe you should be rewarded for that work because it's outside of normal kids scope I think.
[7:37] And that also helps you get excited about doing those things, right? And so you like to see your points add up.
I wanted to see them come up because a lot of these things that are on the exchange lists are things that I really want or really have.
I want to do were things that are fun for me.
I think part of the success in our gamifying our household chores and responsibilities and activities is because you.
[8:09] Thought of the reward list once we did this and I kind of helped you think of it and now that you've got the hang of it, you created this and so it's all driven by rewards you really want, but.
[8:24] As long as I have those rewards, I have to keep them at a reasonable number.
Like I can't put yesterday at five points sir, so yesterday was 100 points, which is the most expensive, I don't mind on my list and it would take some time to get to,
100 points, especially if you can only get one point,
For completing your normal daily tours.
[8:47] Currently I have 92. Do you really after this podcast right here, I will have 92.
So this is Gamification of these things is so good for many, many reasons. It keeps things exciting it keeps you accountable, it keeps me accountable to my promises as well.
It keeps it fun also helps with your math skills because you're constantly reacting and multiplying things to see what you will achieve next.
And I think it helps you feel really empowered and proud of yourself when you reach these goals, so it's goal setting, it's responsibility, it's all kinds of things that help move this process.
That that can be kind of boring, chores or nagging things and it turns it into a game.
So we're gamifying this process. Now, what's cool is you're really responsive to this, so maybe there's kids that don't really care,
Or don't really like to be rewarded or aren't incentivized quite like you are, I just got lucky, I don't know we figured this out and we've been using it in many, many areas.
But also your teachers and even your orthodontist who would have thought he gives me $5 for 50 points for like wearing a t shirt and not having anything broken in my mouth, right? But that's so cool. And he made it fun.
It was a really smart move. And in fact it was one of the reasons we chose.
[10:17] Yeah. This orthodontist because we knew if he had the sensibility to keep going to the Ortho.
Yeah. Well that too. But going to the orthodontist, fun and incentivized you to yes, brush your teeth and have a clean bill of health and make sure break my wires, right?
And keep you all of your hardware intact and be on time for your appointment.
You got little points. And as those points add up, I get $5 gift cards to any place I want to go to amazon target etcetera.
So you've earned all these points by going to the orthodontist every week and I don't have to nag you to go beyond time where nag you to,
take care of your braces because you are driven by this other entity which is money in this case.
[11:08] Money money learning at a young age you are driven by money money alright well and you know they're small increments $5 gift cards here and there but over the course of.
[11:23] You know your braces term which is like a year and a half, it's not that long it's a year but still you could really add up to some quite a bit of money from going to the orthodontist.
Now I'm spending a lot of money at the Orthodox honestly if I had two years of braces,
I would be able to pay with $5 gift cards for the orthodontist braces,
doubt it says me and every other parent that's ever had to pay for Ortho but that said I could dad doesn't, that doesn't lie does he?
Yeah he does, he's lying but he's definitely pulling your leg.
Yeah. Either way it was a smart way to incentivize you to do your best and I, his mom really appreciated that.
So that's one way that we gamify that process.
You just recently told me about your teacher and how they gamify some of your efforts and behavior in school. What's that about?
So when you're being good or the teacher sees you do something upstanding, she gives it was super card or if she sees you do something really bad, she gives you a stop sign and if.
[12:38] And if the whole class get the compliment in the hall they everybody gets a super card and when you get a super card at the end of the day you turn in your super cars and you will get pennies.
[12:53] And if you turn in a stop sign, you have to give her a penny, and if you get 20 pennies.
[13:00] By every other monday. You get to buy something from the treasure box And each thing from the charger boxes, 2020 cents.
So, so that works out great.
[13:13] And what's something that you've been able to get from the treasure box? I got a dimple pop it.
And then like a fidget. Yeah, there's a bunch of fidgets and then there's stickers and then there's teacher's assistant and there's eat lunch in the classroom While watching the TV show with two other friends.
That's when I'm sure that you're going to go for or teacher's assistant.
I knew you'd want to be the teacher's assistant to. I'm surprised you haven't hit that goal already.
Yeah, I need another 20. Well I remember even going back to kindergarten and first grade in those points systems while everybody else is spending their points and 20 increments or,
five or 10 or 15, you were the first kid in your class to save up for,
100 which was teacher pizza.
So you could have lunch with your teacher. And I thought that was when I think I first realized that incentivizing you with a point or a game system was really,
interesting and really drove you to do your best and it hasn't stopped.
Right? So that's a really cool tactic that your teacher is using and I love seeing educators use creative ways to incentivize and inspire our kids to do their best. And that's just another great way to do it now as it applies to technology.
I've also seen, seen some gamification happen on your device, right?
[14:40] Roadblocks. Anyone. Yeah, you have to log in every day, day at a price every day and you currently have a little bit of a streak.
I have 83, days in a row on roadblocks now, logging in.
That's just logging in to the parents out there. Let me just get some clarity.
No way does this child have an ability to correct?
She does not get even five minutes every single day to play games, however.
[15:16] If she has good behavior, I will at least let her log on, which just tells the system she's been there and gives her this credit that she's been there, which is an interesting,
tactic for gamers and developers and webs and that kind of has like an addictive pattern that it's their building into you, which I don't like and I don't appreciate.
But given that you have had great behavior and you are a good kid and you don't abuse this privilege, we are allowing it at this stage now.
I think you just get points and different characters and things like that.
What do you get in roadblocks for points and toys and pet money, but not in the actual real life sense, right?
Like money that you use in the game that helps you, that helps you get better and like toys and pets that help you get better.
So for that reason we're monitoring closely but we are allowing it.
But it is an interesting observation and it's important for kids and parents to know those are tactics,
that that developer has learned or built into the game to teach you how to get hooked on their thing on their platform,
most of the time so that they can.
[16:37] Show their advertisers how many people are logging in every day and increase their ad rates or their,
sponsorship costs or but mostly their ads, those little ads that you see across the screen and whatever they're targeting,
young people and that developer, that game developer is saying, hey, I have a million people that log in every single day and they're getting you to buy into that.
[17:03] Because they're incentivizing you.
So while gamification can be good, it can also be bad and it can create bad habits. So it's definitely something for us to keep our eyes on.
And the more we know, the more we can make sure that we don't let it take advantage of us.
Like let's just pretend this is real. If you bite your nails every day, you'll get 100 bucks.
[17:28] Does anyone want to do that? Yeah, Well some people that like to bite their nails, but that would create a bad habit, right?
Right. Instead, we want to create good habits. One thing we have this week, it's like a side incentive, which is if I wear a new different output that I've never worn every day this week I get.
[17:50] Appointment and that was just came kind of around because you never wear my other stuff.
I stick to two or three outfits and just wear those right one because you're comfortable too because you're in a hurry and you're not really so focused on fashion right now and that's totally fine.
My interest in that is that we invested in some cute clothes for you.
I'd like to see you where and before you grow out of them, uh strength because you're growing like a weed and I don't want to see those clothes go to waste.
Of course we always pass are closed down to someone else that could use them.
Um but it would be nice to see you and some of the cute stuff we've acquired or been gifted or what have you and I think it helps get your brain into a place of like.
[18:39] Matching different items and feeling confident and comfortable in different looks and you kind of have, you know, it takes away from the morning meltdown of a wardrobe malfunction or like,
feeling like you don't want to wear something like this inspires you to make the choice and switch it up a little bit and supports your creativity.
Are you enjoying it so far? You look super cute with all your new fashions all week long?
I think your favorite outlets outfit was Tuesday where I wore like cowboy jeans with the outskirts on the bottom and a yellow, your voice is powered shirt on and then I'm like.
[19:19] You're yellow doc martens, that was kind of my favorite to, what did you call them cowboy pants.
[19:27] Cowboy like out short pants because those cowboys like wear this out shirt like outskirt pants?
Oh they were wide leg jeans. Yeah, forever. Now they are cowboy pants.
[19:40] I love it, awesome. Well this gamification is really cool.
I love to see you create and be creative,
about how we can incentivize each other and just remember to not take advantage of it, but do the right thing and still work to make all of this game play more fun,
and interactive together with your family.
So we'd love to hear from you if you play games game, if I any chores that you don't like to get done or um find ways to incentivize each other in your household. We'd love to hear about it. So drop us a message.
[20:18] And she sounds like me on the socials Alright, she sounds like me dot com, That's right, thanks for joining us.
So this week we're going to do a little something different, we're going to shout out some podcast that we think that you should try definitely because it is international podcast day, the day that we're actually recording this,
and so we wanted to let you know some of our favorite podcasts starting with,
brains on, brains on is a great one.
How about our friends at a kid's book about?
They started an entire podcast and in fact you are on,
you are on an upcoming episode of one of their new podcasts, you are a guest host on the activators, The activators, they're part of a kids podcast about Media Network.
One of the podcast we love is kids literate.
How about another one from you see The Rebel Girls, podcast Who doesn't love Rebel Girls, podcast it's so good, good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, Love that.
That's probably my favorite kids podcast So, another one is the big Life kids and the grim grammar grimaced first two seasons I think, I don't know if they're working through about.
[21:41] When grimm grimm or grimace was in the storyteller mode of all the grim stories, that was the best one and dad and yours?
Favorite the Warrior Kid podcast, but Jacko willing what Jacko were fan a house full of fans over here.
So those are some great podcast to listen with your kids, we'd love to hear some more ideas and podcast you listen to again Reach out to us anytime, we Love to hear your feedback Give us a five star review on all your podcasting platforms.
Hit subscribe, download this episode, show, Love and hit us up sometimes so we can give you a shout out.
Thanks for listening. Everybody. Thanks for listening and have an awesome day. Have an awesome day by.