Carly gets a sticker for bringing back a paper to school. Robyn gets a candy for bringing back something to school. Then, Carly's getting two stickers for something, and then, and then, and then.
What if kids bring back their papers because that's what they're supposed to do? What happens when kids don't care about one or two or three stickers anymore?
What happens when these kids become teenagers, or even parents?
Here's a newspaper article I came across the same day I was pondering the consequences of always offering rewards:
Census Campaign Targets Tech-savy Hispanic Youth
Los Angeles (AP)--Groups pushing for robust Hispanic participation in the 2010 census have announced a campaign to reach that hard-to-count demographic through its smart-phone-toting youngsters.
The "Be Counted, Represent" campaign was announced Wednesday at a press conference in Los Angeles.
It offers music downloads and a chance at concert tickets to cell phone users who share their e-mail addresses and phone numbers with organizers and forward information about the census to their friends.
Organizers hope the pro-census messages will zip throughout the social networks of youngsters who can persuade their parents to fill out and return their census forms.
Wow! Outright bribery. I guess stickers just aren't cutting it anymore, are they? Who's paying for these music downloads and concert tickets, anyway? What if I'd like some? Too bad. I'm not Hispanic, I don't own a cell phone, and I was planning on answering the big 10 questions, anyway. Oh, well.
2021 Reading!
1 year ago
5 comments:
My sister and I have discussed this very topic! It is crazy how kids expect something for every little thing they do. The other day, I thanked my kids for behaving in the store and Miss L asked me, "So can we go out to lunch then?" UH...NO! Then she asked me what they would get for behaving. I told her she already had it--that warm, nice feeling inside telling her that she did something right. :)
I remember telling my parents that my friends got paid to do their chores and paid when they got good grades. They pointed out that I was getting paid (we were eating dinner in the house that they bought). :) I think it's kind of a hard balance. I mean, we wouldn't go to work if we didn't get a paycheck right? However, it's not like we get rewarded for everything we do. Anyway, thanks for the thought provoking post.
I'm with you. Mercy.
Amen!
Interesting thoughts. I'm with you though. I want something for all those questions I answered today with my black ball point pen.
I struggle with this when it comes to chores and allowance. Right now we don't do allowances. We do chores. But they get rewarded with beans in a jar and magnets on a board. when I'm on the ball that is. I don't know what the best answer is.
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