Should Kids Be Paid for Good Grades? | CloudMom

Like any parent, I want to motivate my kids to do their best. Question is: what is the best way to do this and is giving out a cash reward helpful or damaging over the long term?

Yet even though we might not want our kids to know how much our car cost or what we earn, for many of us growing up, linking cash with success was the norm and an "A" meant a dollar or a toy or a special candy. When I was little, my mom took us to a special neighborhood book store and we got to pick out a book.

My kids are still too young for grades. They do get report cards, but I don't even think they know that they get them! Their report cards spell out how they are doing and where there is room for improvement. I prefer my kids don't know that there is any sort of formal evaluation process so I've never told them about their report cards...

So we're too young still for formal grades, yet my current thinking is that even when they are old enough to get formal grades, I will try not to start paying for grades? Why? A few reasons...

Number one, I want my kids to learn how good it feels to just work really hard on something and do your best. I get so much satisfaction out of that myself and I want my kids to experience that too. Second, I want them to love learning because I know this will really add to their happiness. So if they've worked hard and had an amazing time learning something, but don't end up with a top-notch grade (meaning no cash reward) what am really saying to them? That they failed? Did they really fail or did they have a great learning experience? For these reasons, I hesitate about paying for grades.

I'm also thinking that often you work really hard on something in life and don't immediately do well or succeed and it takes time and perseverance to get there. Such has been my experience with CloudMom actually and I talk about that a bit more in the vlog.

For more on why I'm thinking NOT paying kids for good grades is the way to go, watch my vlog.

And please weigh in: do you pay for grades or not? What are your reasons and how has it worked out thus far?

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[TheMomsView]

Great explanation. Having esteem in your work is important!

[nataliemarie]

I disagree but I love your points. Something to think about

[BreannaZbeeshko]

i quit school, and ever since my life has skyrocket'd

but, i felt as a kid, its so unfair that you adults work your ass's off and get paid, while us kids work to and dont, theirfore is one of many reasons i quit school, and never did my homework.

[annamariavandyk]

What my mom did is she would reward me with a treat like ice cream or the cute shirt I wanted. She would never give me money

[JuJuForREAL]

Uhhh. You get paid for good work/ethic at your job right? It's only right kids are rewarded for good grades.

[LetsssGooooooooo]

Nobody's "right" or "wrong" here obviously. It can be expensive to do a good job paying your kids in a fair and equitable way, but it beats just giving an "allowance". We currently live in a capitalist society that most commonly pays you for your labor. You shouldn't feel bad about helping to bring your children into that system. That's why I mostly pay my kids for the good habits and hard work they put into their academics, not as much for the end result of good grades. Just paying for good grades is lazy and has unintended negative consequences. The vast majority of employees get paid for their work, even if the company underperforms. How demoralizing would it be to work for a company that only pays you if the company makes X profit? Well, it works that way with kids and school. They are smart enough to know that they can get cheated out of a good grade by a dingbat teacher. So then why work as hard? Plus, I think we put too much emphasis on grades over actual deep learning. You should know what your kid is learning about in school, know when they are learning it at a high level and reward that. You could also assign additional learning unrelated to their school work (music, art, and community service projects are great ideas for that). The typical: "well, they should be internally motivated to learn" only motivates a kid so far and this delayed gratification is a tough sell over immediate gratification. I think most kids don't need added incentive to do just the bare minimum in school, but that's not all I'm after. I want my kids completely invested in their education. Thus far it's been both fun and helpful for my kids to take things above and beyond what's expected of them. On top of it, we pay equally into the "spend bank", "save bank", and "share bank" so the kids get to learn first hand about generosity, investing, and budgeting at a very young age. All good things in my opinion. The status quo is not paying kids for academics and some places are now experimenting with paying for grades. I'm more in favor of paying my kids for their good habits and hard work every day regardless of their grades. It's more challenging for the parent to keep up with, but I've found it to be highly rewarding and fun for everyone.

[nicolettekostyshak]

not just saying this cuz I am a kid buuut why can't kids get paid for their hard work and getting good grades when Adults are getting paid for doing the same thing at their jobs? I mean I think it would be fair that way.

[parkes]

I could never reward my kids for good grades with money. It will not help them to develop internal motivation for their school work. They will constantly be working hard at school just to get paid. Even if they could be passionate about a subject like Math they may never really know cause it would always be about the money. If they get an A on a difficult exam or all As on their report card I'd give them a treat like ice cream or movie and popcorn, but not money.

[kamyawilson]

My kids will get little here and there rewards
Stay up late
Dinner of your choice
Movie night
No chores day
Get ice cream
Simple things like that but I think rewards are an okay thing.
I read this story of these kids on high honoral and their parents give them money for good grades

[MrHDChevy]

I don't think of it as a bribe at all, it is a reward for a job well done and an opportunity for another lesson. that lesson is money management, my seven year old has over a hundred dollars that she has saved herself over birthdays and payment for good grades she is a responsible young lady.

[erinsarginson]

I was never allowed to have any reward for getting good grades, my mum just expects me to get good grades and I get really punished if I don't get the marks she wanted

[ayeshashamshad]

well I think u should coz u worked hard and studied !!! :) ♥