I’m not above bribing my kids. In fact, sometimes it’s completely called for.
When I really need my kids to do something important that has no obvious payoff to them, I’ll definitely bring out a bribe. However, I’m not big on rewarding my kids for things that are generally expected of them. Just as no one pays me to put my dishes in the dishwasher, make my bed or pick my clothes off the floor (oh how I wish they did), I don’t reward my kids for those things. In my view, the reward for making your bed is getting into a made bed that night. Nothing more, nothing less.
I will however, charge my kids for transgressions. In the cases where I simply cannot impress upon the kids that a behaviour must change through asking, reminding, pleading, I’ve been known to hit them where it hurts: the piggybank.
Here’s a recent example. I’ve been begging my kids for years to flush the toilet after they’ve used it. Don’t believe me? I was blogging/complaining about this in 2009! Eventually I realized if I couldn’t encourage them then I’d discourage them. I instituted a $2 charge to EACH child, regardless of the perpetrator, each time I came across an unflushed toilet. This was one month ago. Do you know how much money I collected in this scheme? Eight dollars. That’s right. It took each of them giving me a Toonie (that’s a week’s allowance in our house) twice, on days 1 and 2, to forever cure them of the non-flushing habit. Now I live in a state of blissful flushedness.
Is this parenting technique harsh? I don’t think so. In life there are often monetary consequences to breaking the rules. If I park in the wrong place I get a parking ticket. The way I see it, I’m preparing them for life and keeping my sanity at the same time.
Come on, admit it—you’re thinking about trying this, aren’t you?!
Printer-friendly version