Call it bribery, an incentive program, or even a reward system, but nearly every parent has given their child something for doing unsavory tasks that they didn't want to do. On Jan. 13 Jezebel suggests that bribing your child to do tasks is a completely legitimate parenting technique that several employ.
Some parents are claiming that this is bad parenting, but in reality, when it comes down to it, most adults wouldn't do their job if they weren't being paid for it so why should a child. Nobody wants to come inside from playing with friends so they can clean their room, do homework, or eat broccoli so parents often use whatever tools they have in their arsenal to ensure that these things still get done.
Most parents employ some sort of a reward chart with the use of stickers to cash in at the end of the week or month so that they can get a prize or treat. Dessert is often the award for eating all your vegetables and money or a cool family outing is given for good grades.
The biggest complaint that many parents are lobbying against this incentive program, is that it spoils children. Studies find that this isn't really the case. Even the Supernanny Jo uses a reward jar and other "bribes" to get children to do the things they want. Behavioral aids used for children with autism or other learning disabilities also use a reward chart to get their pupils to focus on a task until it is done. A feat that parents struggle with when they have children with disabilities.
One of the biggest issues that parents are having is the terminology used. Generally, "bribe" means that something positive happens before the negative action is addressed. Meaning that dessert comes before eating vegetables. For child bribery to work effectively, the reward must be exactly that, a treat for doing something that is unsavory.
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