A school in Palm Beach County is offering students a Krispy Kreme donut for every A on their report cards. There are several issues with this. There is a nation wide child obesity problem. There are health issues. Then there is the whole reward for grades thing. What happened to a healthy sense of self esteem for doing a good job, period. We are raising a generation of kids that thinks there has to be a prize behind every door. I think we need to lock them in a room and force them to watch old "Let's make a deal" reruns. Sometimes there is a donkey or a years supply of Rice-a-roni behind the door.
I work construction, and when there is a large group of workers, there is usually a 'check pool'. For a set entry fee, you will play your check numbers like a poker hand. The way to figure the numbers varies, but the most popular is to add your check number and your net and make the best poker hand with the 5 numbers on the right. One job I was working in Northern Ohio had almost 100 electricians. The entry was $2. The number of players fluctuated each week, so the payout was different each week. I remember one Friday, some one in the job trailer yelled to the union steward and asked what the check pool paid. The Steward yelled back the pool amount. Some one else yelled, "What does second place pay ?" Just as quick, someone else yelled, "Minus $2."
That's it. There are winners and there are losers (non-winners, for the politically correct among you). Do I like to lose ? NO. Do I want my kids to lose ? NO. It is a fact of growing up. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Losing builds more character than winning. Victory tastes so much sweeter when you have lost a few times. Lay your accolades on the winners. Do not beat the losers, but do not make them anymore than they are.
When we placate those that don't win, we create a generation of blamers and whiners. Real life is going to catch these kids and body slam them to the mat. AND there won't be a trophy for laying there crying about it. The job of parents is to prepare their children for real life. When you give them everything they want, you are teaching them that life is supposed to cater to their whims. When you lose your ability to say no, you teach them that there are no boundaries. When we award the loser, we teach them that it isn't necessary to do your best. It is the job of parents, and their partners, the schools, to teach children the concept of reward and punishment.
C'mon parents. Do yer jobs.
I work construction, and when there is a large group of workers, there is usually a 'check pool'. For a set entry fee, you will play your check numbers like a poker hand. The way to figure the numbers varies, but the most popular is to add your check number and your net and make the best poker hand with the 5 numbers on the right. One job I was working in Northern Ohio had almost 100 electricians. The entry was $2. The number of players fluctuated each week, so the payout was different each week. I remember one Friday, some one in the job trailer yelled to the union steward and asked what the check pool paid. The Steward yelled back the pool amount. Some one else yelled, "What does second place pay ?" Just as quick, someone else yelled, "Minus $2."
That's it. There are winners and there are losers (non-winners, for the politically correct among you). Do I like to lose ? NO. Do I want my kids to lose ? NO. It is a fact of growing up. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Losing builds more character than winning. Victory tastes so much sweeter when you have lost a few times. Lay your accolades on the winners. Do not beat the losers, but do not make them anymore than they are.
When we placate those that don't win, we create a generation of blamers and whiners. Real life is going to catch these kids and body slam them to the mat. AND there won't be a trophy for laying there crying about it. The job of parents is to prepare their children for real life. When you give them everything they want, you are teaching them that life is supposed to cater to their whims. When you lose your ability to say no, you teach them that there are no boundaries. When we award the loser, we teach them that it isn't necessary to do your best. It is the job of parents, and their partners, the schools, to teach children the concept of reward and punishment.
C'mon parents. Do yer jobs.
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