Fampoints Offers a Simple, Fun Way to Reinforce Positive Behavior By Melissa Fales Inspired by his own experience raising a strong-willed child, Roger Doumanian has created a free tool that allows parents to digitally track, monitor and reward children’s behavior on a Smartphone, tablet or computer. 10 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Feature Story Doumanian got the idea for the program after grappling with his son Julian’s behavioral issues. “Our troubles started when he was three,” he says. “He was a smart kid, but rebellious and a little spoiled.” Wondering if Julian’s behavior might stem from some type of disorder, the Doumanians brought him to a therapist. The therapist found nothing wrong with Julian and recommended that the family implement a rewards chart, assigning stars for positive behavior and removing them in response to negative behavior. “The beauty of a chart is that it’s visual,” says Doumanian. “It lets kids see the consequences of their actions.” However, the chart didn’t work for Julian. For example, it was problematic if he acted up while the family was out. “We’d have to wait until we got home to remove a star,” says Doumanian. “The time that elapsed between Julian’s actions and when they were recorded on the chart made it hard for him to make the connection. Sometimes, by the time we’d get home, we’d forget altogether.” Doumanian looked for something digital that would be more portable and more manageable. “I couldn’t find anything that would do all the things we needed it to do,” he says. So, Doumanian, the CEO of tech firms Fresh Element and Harvester Holdings, spent two years developing and building Fampoints. The program launched in August to much acclaim and great feedback from parents and medical professionals. “Fampoints is a great tool for parents to help children understand their expectations, and to make sure the change in behavior and work to achieve goals and contribute to the family are recognized and rewarded each time, so that these sought after behaviors continue to shape the child’s positive participation in his or her environment,” says Nikki Miller, licensed psychotherapist. “It’s easy to use, either at home or on the fly, and offers options and flexibility for individual/family needs and preferences. It’s a win/ win for the whole family!” Fampoints is based on the idea behind those old-fashioned behavior charts comprised of stickers on posterboard, but totally revamped for 21st century families. Parents simply create a Fampoints account for each child and generate a list of actions or behaviors. Each item on the list is assigned a certain number of points. “It works both ways,” Doumanian says. “Just as a child earns points through positive behavior, they lose points through negative behavior.” Parents can easily edit the list at any time. Parents also create rewards and determine how many points each reward requires. “You can make rewards something small like a special snack, something bigger like a movie ticket, or something huge like a trip to Disneyland,” says Doumanian. Since Fampoints is completely customizable, parents call the shots. “You create the rewards that will motivate your child,” says Doumanian. “The only limit is your creativity.” Children logging into Fampoints can see how many points they have, what kind of rewards they can earn, and how many points they need to redeem each reward. “They aren’t able to see how many points their siblings have,” Doumanian says. Every request to redeem points for a reward requires parental approval. “Mom or Dad receives an email that their child has requested a reward,” explains Doumanian. “Parents can approve or deny the request, and send a message back to the child explaining why. For example, a parent might decline a request to redeem reward points for a movie ticket if a child has been misbehaving. The Fampoints system encourages parents and StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 11
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