Report Cards - Springfield,VA

Hell no! That's what they're supposed to do. We go out for a cookie to celebrate. But no, they don't get paid for doing what they're supposed to do. I remember asking my father why I didn't get money for good grades, and when he told me that it was because that's what I was supposed to be doing. It made a huge impression on me, that that was what they expected of me, that they believed in me. I never got anything but straight As after that.

ETA: Since we are giving resumes, yeah, graduated Magna Cum Laude from undergrad with a scholarship and I had a full ride to grad school for my MA and PhD and paid not a penny because I earned it with my grades. Cash is completely unnecessary. Not getting monetary rewards worked great for me.

Nope. My nieces know that getting good grades are their responsibility and they don't get paid for getting A's. We expect them to do their best in school, and the good grade in their own reward.

Besides, One of my nieces is the type that picks things ups quickly in school, and while she studies, school comes easily for her, and she brings home A's on a regular basis. My other niece, while smart, has to work much, much harder in school (has an LD) and brings B's and high C's. She works hard and does her best. We are not going to pay her sister for A's when she works jut as hard.

Just because other kids get paid for good grades doesn't mean you need to do it.

No, we don't pay for grades. We do take them out to dinner to celebrate. Their granddad pays for A's, which is fine with us.

I don't reward good grades nor do I punish for bad ones. I can't imagine my kids thinking otherwise.

oh a resume! how fun!
I graduated with a 3.0 from a private Catholic university, with a BA in Philosophy and a minor in Earth Sciences. I was in the top third of my class with a 3.5 in high school. Money would not have changed those grades one iota. What did I end up doing with all of that education? I own a restaurant and raised 4 kids. I should have taken business courses. Now my kids, who were never rewarded or punished for grades they are: kid#1: at the top of his class in welding school (he'll make more money than me when he's done), kid#2: has dyslexia and is at the top of his IT class and performing so well in 11th grade they allowed him to start an internship writing code for a local company a year early, kid#3: getting straight As at the 2nd best high school in PA, and kid#4: another straight A student who has a reading disability. Never paid them a penny. Their dad was unsuccessfully bribed for grades while in high school, barely graduated, and dropped out of art school. My mother took me out to eat when I got my first job, not when I got good grades.

No, because some things you do in life because they are the right thing to do, not because you get paid. You don't get paid for regular chores - it's your job. You don't get paid to go to school - it's your job. Mom and Dad don't get paid to cook dinner or take you to the doctor or snuggle during story time. It's their job.

I think there are plenty of praises and rewards related to "being so responsible and focusing on your grades" that are fine - a movie night (out or at home), a special dinner, an extra privilege, okay. But setting up the expectation that they don't have to study unless you pay them is going to backfire big time. The teen years are especially challenging and you want kids to think about earning your trust by fulfilling their responsibilities just because they are the right things to do.

Imagine employees who don't do one extra task or stay 5 minutes past quitting time unless the boss pays a bonus? It's a slippery slope and adds to the sense of entitlement.

Umm, no. They should be learning the material because learning itself is the goal. Grades should be a minor byproduct of this learning. My son is 9. We try to de-emphasize grades altogether. He should learn his math because 1) it is actually really interesting and 2) it is actually useful to figure things out with. Pay him? No way.

We go out to dinner to celebrate a job well done.

We go to Cherry Berry. It's more congratulations for doing a good job.

Nope. My kids have brought home straight A's for years and there is no monetary reward for it. We normally go out and celebrate with a shopping trip, pedicures, ice cream, extra park time, something like that...but they don't get paid. Their JOB is to do well in school. So we expect that.

No pay for grades here.
But for good attitude, getting chores done, and keeping up with the straight A's, we never tell our son 'No' at the book store.
He's a voracious reader!

My son is only 7 so he doesn't earn A's and B's yet, but I have no intention of paying him for good grades when he does. If you want to reward your children, celebrate with a trip to yogurtland or the movies. Paying cash for A's is definitely not the way to encourage them.

Nope, never did. Instead lots of high fives, hugs and maybe pizza a nd then ice cream to celebrate!

We tried to communicate to our children, even when they were younger, that doing their best work, performing honestly and responsibly in school (not being tardy, turning in work on time), respecting the teacher and having a reputation as a trustworthy hardworking student had its own rewards.

The rewards weren't in the form of money for A's, they came in less tangible but important ways. For example, establishing a history of getting good grades meant that if a special opportunity arose (a chance to attend a once-in-a-lifetime event that would mean missing a day of school, for example), the child could take advantage of that. A child whose grades were not stellar might not be able to afford a missed day.

A child who was regarded as trustworthy and of good character and whose grades are excellent might be selected for a special honor or privilege. Some schools have standards for taking part in theater performances, for example (students with poor grades can't afford the time for rehearsals), or for joining sports teams (poor grades mean you can't try out for the team), or for honors like introducing the celebrity speaker at a special assembly.

So I think it's important to instill in children that good report cards don't earn money, they earn something much more important: a good reputation, a positive impression, and the trust and respect of their teachers. All of those things are taken into account when applying for leadership positions (running for student council or an officer of a club), honors (such as being allowed to represent the school at a conference or event), attending the college of their choice, and even participating in extra-curricular activities (applying to be a camp counselor or attending space camp, for example).

On a few limited occasions over the course of our kids' school years, we let them miss a day of school (Uncle Joe had tickets to the game of the season, for example, or we could extend our vacation by one day) and because their grades were excellent, we were going to let them go, or spend that one last day at the beach. Had they demonstrated mediocre work and poor grades due to laziness or apathy, they would have had to miss the game opportunity, or the extra vacation day, and go to school as usual.

The other problem for paying money for A's exists when a child does his or her best work, but due to illness, disability,or some difficulty, an A is just not possible. But for that child, getting a C or even a D is a huge deal. My daughter has severe medical problems, and attended school online. My son has no such issues and we expected (and he received) excellent grades. However, for our daughter, simply participating in the class, working through the pain, and staying in school even when she wanted to give up was a triumph. Her grades were pretty awful, but we celebrated her efforts. Lying in bed day after day, taking pain meds, having surgeries, but still trying to complete her assignments were monumental achievements for her.

I think that instilling the importance of reputation and character is something a lot of parents miss these days. We don't pay for grades, but we certainly recognize the pattern of hard work and ethics in many other ways. And the world does too. Earning excellent grades (or doing their best work to the best of their ability) means that a child has demonstrated good work ethics, completed tasks, fulfilled requirements and performed well, and that sets a child up for success in life and the chance to take advantage of opportunities like college, the career of their choice, and other benefits. We need to teach our kids the value of hard work.

I don't pay them for good grades, but I do reward hard work. I will usually buy them a gift, take them out for a dinner or a fun outing as a reward for good grades. There is no specific value attached to the reward and it is not an expectation.

No. Even if I wanted to I can't. My children are in the extreme opposites when it comes to academics. I would end up handing one my wallet and the other would never ever see a dime.

As to what I think? I obviously do not believe in it for my household but to each his own. I do not judge heavily on those who do.

No, we don't pay for good grades. I may do what my parents did for me in high school. I would get a day off each marking period for good grades as long as there weren't any tests or important projects due. That was much more valuable to me than a few dollars.

I don't/didn't give cash for grades, just as I never gave cash for chores. However, a great report card when the kids were younger was often rewarded with a trip out for ice cream.

Not unless you really want to, for some reason. I think the A's ARE the reward. Aren't your kids proud of their A's?

I think they just want some money, and are using their A's as a ploy to get it. Studies show that it's best not to reward kids for grades. If you are really concerned about this subject, read the book "Drive - The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," by Daniel Pink.

https://checkside.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/motivation-rev...

Such a peeve of mine. No, no payment.

Good grades ARE the reward.

Some kids really struggle with school and an A would be a monumental achievement - celebrate those with lots of congratulations, praise, a high five, a "look at what your hard work achieved!" and maybe a treat...a special dessert, or a favorite dinner.

For other kids, an A is all in a day's work. I was one of those kids. I got A's because I could, and why wouldn't I earn what was attainable? My parents would say "good work, we're so proud of you" and that was really it. The A's themselves were the reward.

Especially if you have more than one kid in a house, making a huge deal over report cards and grades can create unnecessary problems. They're a progress check, a way to see if the student is mastering material and moving through the curriculum as expected. They're personal. I hate when people make a big deal over them...if they're great, then yay, here's a pat on the back and keep up the good work. If they're lousy, let's figure out what's off track and a plan to correct the course and move on. That's really it. My husband likes to post report cards on the fridge, which I think it kind of embarrassing to the kids so I take them down. I don't want my performance reviews at work there for anyone to look at, no matter how good they are.

So no, we don't pay for grades as a routine thing. We have had situations where one of our kids really struggled with something as a younger student (2nd grade spelling) so we did a short-term reward system for getting a 90% or better on tests where he could earn points to be cashed in for a reward, but by age 10 or 12? No.

ETA: Talkstotrees your post reminded me that when my oldest son got his first job, HE took ME out lunch! When his boss gave him his first week's pay he said "tell you mom to block of an hour of time on her calendar on Saturday, pick a nice place to have lunch, and YOU play the bill as a way to say thank you for everything she has done for you." And he did! It was such a nice treat. I felt guilty letting him pay as he makes a fraction of what I do and works outside, but he was really proud of picking up the bill.

I do... It's expected for them to get A's, but I don't see a problem rewarding a job well done. I see it as a bonus, since school is their job. They get $10 for a "good" report card(all A/B) and $20 for straight A's. If they maintain the A's the full year, there's a $100 bonus at the end of the school year. I don't see anything wrong with a little motivation, it's no different than shopping or pedicures or dinner out. My parents rewarded me for good grades, I ended up with a full paid academic scholarship for college, I graduated with honors with my bachelors degree in accounting, lived on campus, and neither my parents nor I paid a cent. And I was far from spoiled, I worked 30+ hours per week in high school and college.

I'm not saying you SHOULD give cash, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it.

nope.
well, i guess i should amend that. sometimes we'd go out and do something fun. but no way did we pay for grades.
khairete
S.

Hi T.,

We don't pay for grades but if a conference or report come to us that shows his effort and the grades also reflect that, we'll agree to buy him something he's been asking for, something usually small but his pick. My parents paid us for grades and all it did was create a huge distraction and resentment between siblings. Just my 2 cents. :-) S.

My husband was raised to get money for good grades on report cards and I wasn't. So when my kids were young it was a sticking point for us. In the end I decided it wasn't a big enough deal to make a stink over so he paid them for their report cards. $10 for an A, $5 for a B, nothing for a C, -$5 for a D and -$10 for a F. The kids knew that I didn't agree with this and I don't think it created any issues other than they saw it as potential free money a couple times a year.

Yeah, we do that. Each A gets them $10. An O (for Outstanding in an elective class) get them $5. Anything below that get nothing. A perfect report card (all As and Os) gets them $100. Report cards come out 4 times per school year, so they can earn up to $400. There have been a few perfect report cards here, but none of the kids have managed to pull off the full $400.

It started off with them being motivated by the money. The money is what got them in the habit of studying for the tests and putting in the work. It got them to see that hard work and effort can *certainly* result in good grades. Now they take real pride in their work and efforts and rush home to tell me "I ACED that science test!".

We're at the point where they LOVE the feeling of a good grade, they LOVE feeling that their efforts paid off, and they LOVE the sense of accomplishment. The money, at this point, is just a nice bonus for them - and I'm happy to give it to them. They really work hard and deserve it!

I don't, but my parents paid me for grades and it really was a nice bonus after all my hard work. They gave $10 for A's and $5 for B's, but nothing for less. We would have tried super hard to get A's even without the money, so it was just a nice congratulatory perk. I'll have to see how motivated mine are in high school before we start this. Right now I give screen time for A's and B's and turned in homework.

I was raised to believe that grades were a reflection of what you did in school. My aunt and uncle used to hold my grades up for their kids to see because I worked really hard and got As and a few Bs. But, their kids got Cs. What they didn't understand is that they were AVERAGE. I was not. My aunt and uncle are not highly intelligent while my parents are. Thus, my grades were higher. I don't think that kids should be paid for grades. I think that as long as they are trying and doing their best, then that is all report cards should show and handle. Paying for grades is paying for the kids to compare themselves to everyone else and that is not what I want my kids to think life is all about. It isn't! But, that is just my 2 cents worth.

My dad pays for my niece and nephews' grades, and if he wants to that is fine. Grandpas are different. But, I will not pay for my kids to get good grades, it is their job and responsibility just like scrubbing the toilet bowl is mine. Hmm...how do I get paid for that?

My grandma used to send me $.50 for every A, $.25 for every B.
My dad used to criticize an A- and question why it wasn't an actual A. He even went so far as to refuse to acknowledge my elementary school honor roll accolades, since it was an A & B Honor Roll.

At 10 and 12, I think it's a bit late to start anything, but non-monetary rewards are never a bad thing.

And just for the record, I quit trying for better grades after the honor roll stunt. I figured, if I was going to catch sh*t for an A- that I had to work for, I might as well not put in the effort and happily take the B. Classic academic underachiever for life, created by 4th grade.

We do not pay money for grades, no. But we do celebrate good report cards as a family. We'll go have a movie day or eat ice cream for dinner or something fun. Successes should be celebrated.