SHOULD PARENTS PAY CHILDREN FOR GOOD GRADES? 2
Should Parents Pay Children for Good Grades?
Many parents pay children when they attain good grades in school. The move may look
smart in the short run; however, it negatively affects them in their future. Even though some
consider it a good strategy, the difficult question among many is, “should parents pay children
for good grades?” Some parents treat going to school as a job, and therefore, they feel that they
should pay their children for going to school and attaining good grades. However, others feel that
going to school is a responsibility of the children. Logically, people should not treat all jobs as a
money-making activity instead they should treat some as a responsibility. In this essay, I will
argue that parents should not pay children for good grades based on three reasons.
First, monetary rewards rob children the importance of education because they perceive it
as an avenue for enriching their pockets. Marotz & Kupzyk (2018) argue that parents who pay
for good grades put their children future in jeopardy because they develop an attitude that they
can only score good grades when promised of a payout. Such children forget the fundamental
importance of education, which is a tool for enriching their minds, and they perceive it as a job.
They replicate such habit in all aspects of their lives. Children tend to perceive education as a
task given by parents, which they are always trying to make it work to make them happy
(Kobliner, 2017). Therefore, parents should not pay children for good grades because they
perceive education less important and as an avenue for making money.
Secondly, rewarding children for good grades over a period makes them feel entitled to a
reward every time they attain good grades. According to Lahey (2015), the feeling of entitlement
to rewards, especially monetary ones, makes children lose love for learning and become
irresponsible for their education. They develop an attitude where they can only work hard when
they there is a promise of a payout. The situation becomes even worse when they attain good
