Should parents pay their kids to get good grades?

Instead of paying them for good grades and rewarding everything they do, why not show them what happens when they don't get good grades? Show them what happens when they don't have a job and can't pay rent or other things.
We seem to want to reward students equally so that they don't feel left out and we don't destroy their self esteem. Well, it isn't going to help them in the real world. We have to show students and kids in general that they have to take a lot of bumpy roads in life. And the quicker we do the better. It will help them think more, strive more, and not always want to take the easy way out. The intelligence of the last and present generation is slowly slipping downward. Getting them to think more is what we need to do. Not reward them all the time for mediocre and shoddy work or thinking.

with that logic, going to work is a part of life and you should not be rewarded financially, right Al-Man? While children study they doing WORK, so it has to be rewarded; however, bad grades should be punished financially too - else method doesn't work.

Pretty much Blank. Teach them that nothing comes for free early before they become know it alls and expect everything to be given to them on a platter. Teach then that the reward comes after they learn to use and develop their minds fully. If you pay them or reward them for every little step forward, they expect it all the time and like the article said, they seem to do everything the easiest way without fully understanding the process. Save any sort of reward for major milestones, not everything they do.

well, education doesn't come that easily. easy way is when some "beloved by teachers" get their hands on a solution manuals. otherwise, its close to impossible to keep on scoring As & Bs, so if they find easy ways to complete education this can only mean they are ready for a real world and will survive and succeed. besides, they will learn the value of money in process. as there is a saying: "if you want the solution to be smart and easy doable, than reward the task to the laziest person. they will find a way to get it done with a minimum effort". therefore, if child finds easy ways to get things done right the reward will be far more appropriate than for those children who spend 24/7 with a book and still cant do good in real world.

Well Blank, after reading both your comments, your sentence structure, and your outlook that only cheaters get ahead, I would say you are one of the slowly slipping young people who are part of the present generation of reward wanters and "minimum effort" people that the article warns about rewarding. Just an observation. Anyone else notice this?

It is not something that has needed to be done in the past so why now ? High marks are often a result of a student's inherent ability and may or may not be attributed to how hard they work. Good marks in our household are defined by a student putting forth their best effort. If my kid's work hard and get a C that is a good result. Education is a benefit of growing up in this country and children should be grateful to have the opportunity...not be paid to attend.

I don't at all agree with this. My grandkids receive a "treat" every summer, from me, in deference to, and acknowledgement of, hard work and good report cards. They are not rocket scientists and must work for their marks, which they willingly do. What is the harm in their knowing all their hard work is appreciated? It's not a pay-for-services-rendered scenario.

The question, btw, may well be wrongly worded. Most parents do not "pay for good grades" but treat their children for effort beyond the ordinary. If children are paid to pass, then I don't agree with that concept. If they are treated for diligently applying themselves because they have been properly taught how important education is, then the article loses impact, in its opposition to "bribery."

Its quite simple. children are short sighted and dont see the future value of the education they receive. think back to when you went to school. what was the value of algebra at the time? what was the value of preparing a proper paper? geometry?....what the heck will i ever do with that?!
now not all people will use everything they learn but many will. algebra and geometry for example are important to me as an electrician....no one ever told me that when i was a student.
Now rewarding students who get good grades (not mediocre) relates real world situations to them. IE....work and you get paid....sit idle and receive nothing. it sure beats the way things are done now....cant do math?....awww...well we will pass you on cause we dont want to hurt your feelings. your soccer team lost?....dont worry cause no one wins anymore...we DONT keep score!
And as for the past?...we used to fail those who didnt pass the grade...they dont do that anymore...

They don't keep score in soccer anymore because they can't do the arithmetic!

i do reward my kids for passing a test. Because i have two kids that have learning difficulties and it gives them a extra push to work harder. I have one child that has ADHD and it helps keep him modivated to do good and work hard when it is extreamly difficult for him to just stay focused on one task. Ever since i told him that every passing test he brings home he gets two dollars. but if he brings home a failure he has to pay me. or just not recieve his money. so far it has worked well. even his teachers have noticed that he is more motivated. it may not work for all kids but it works for me.

Al-Man, due to the nature of my work I use 5 languages on rotation (too much outsourced engineering in this country unfortunately), so I hope you can at least structure your grammar in English perfectly. and most likely, unlike me, you don't need to have technical knowledge, so spare me your schooling. your stereotyping of "i'm smart cause I can structure grammar right sometimes" failed long ago, some where around inquisition times. nowadays its really hard to find a good job which pays you enough to live an "American Dream", and for those who are still in learning stage of life it will only get worth. so yes, I prefer to pay my children for a good grades in technical disciplines and ignore punishment for low grades in language(s) related classes as the least needed skills lately with most people not speaking English as first language anyways.

my parents encouraged us and gave us money whenever we had a good grade. both my brother and I were told that our job was to be a student and once we graduated we would have are careers. We always we guided to do better and receive money at the end of every year.

I am an engineer that is doing an executive MBA and my brother is an actuary with an MBA.

We never had issues finding jobs.

Totally disagree with $rewards. When you are born every second becomes a learning experience. Going through life should be a learning experience no matter what age. Should kids pay their parents for raising them and bringing them into this world?! I agree with working parents paying their student kids to help with the task of owning a home or babysitting, cutting grass, cleaning windows etc. Doing these task will teach them what life is with diplomas and without. When objection occurs from the student living with the parent, it should become an opportunity to communicate and give the best advice to them. Don't worry, they might appear to ignore you, but they are hearing and they will remember those values in the future. Money does not have the power of parenting and guiding a child through life! Love does, so simple...

Even a pat on the back and saying "Nice job" is an extrinsic reward. However, I think that withholding praise for a job well done because it might undermine the child's motivation would cause even bigger problems than lack of intrinsic motivation.