A prize has a shelf life, and it is usually shorter than the chart's. The thing they were desperate for in September is ordinary by November, and the chart starts pointing at something they no longer want.
This is not a motivation problem. It is a stale prize.
The three ways a prize dies
| What happened | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| They got it, and it was fine | Interest dropped right after they cashed in | A new prize they choose now, not the one they chose in September |
| It is too far away | They ask, the total barely moves, they stop asking | Add a smaller one they can reach this week, alongside the big one |
| It was never their idea | Polite tolerance from the first day | Let them pick from what you can actually give |
Ask them, and mean it
"What would you actually want to work toward?" is a better question than any list an adult writes, and the answer is often cheaper than you expect. Half the prizes that work cost nothing — twenty minutes with just you, picking the music, choosing what is for dinner, a friend over.
Do not shrink what they already earned
When you change the prize, the points already banked stay banked. Repricing downward — "that's worth less now" — is the same as taking points away, wearing a different hat, and it is the fastest way to lose a child's trust in the whole thing.