Purpose: To persuade the audience why parents should not pay your children to do well in school.

Introduction:
Hello, A friend and I were discussing ways to motivate his 8 year old daughter to improve her grades. If she was raised like I was raised, she’d improve her grades or don’t bother coming home on report card day! And my mother worked for the board of education, so she knew EXACTLY when that was. I couldn’t believe it when he said he was thinking of paying her $5 for every A she got! He asked me for my opinion, so if there are any parents out there who are currently or considering paying your children to make good grades, I’m going to tell you like I told him, DON’T DO IT.

In this speech I’m going to • Describe the 4 styles of parenting as listed on www.pediatrics.com which can be broken down into old school and new school. • Tell you why “Pay for an A” is ineffective • Alternative ways to reward
By the time I’m finished, you’ll understand why it is a terrible idea.
Body:

I. Which Parenting Style is you?
“Old school” Parenting Style

Authoritarian - This is the classic no nonsense do as I say, not as I do parenting style. “Control” is the key word with this style, where kids are expected to obey and obey immediately. Rules are the corner stone of this parenting style and parents enforce them with fear and intimidation. (Gods hand as it were)
Consequences are followed through upon without emotion or consideration of extenuating circumstances. A rule is broken then you must pay. This type of parent is seen as cold and unfeeling but this does not mean the parent(s) do not love their child, they just operate in a rigid world that does not allow for warm fuzzy’s.
Authoritative - This is the middle ground of parenting. You are in charge but the kids feel empowered because you allow some latitude in their behavior and decision-making. In this style you would still enforce rules and say “NO!” but you would explain why you are saying “NO!” You would take into consideration extenuating circumstances and discuss with your child the importance of following the rules. You would provide your child with choices, which you ultimately control, but it gives the illusion that your child has made their own decision. This type of parent is seen as warm and considerate. “New school” Parenting Style
Permissive - This parenting style is perhaps the most common in today’s what’s in it for me world. It is the “Little Prince or Princess” method of parenting, where children can do no wrong and there is little if any boundaries or expectations in behavior. The household is not run by the adults but by the children. Decisions are based on the children’s wants and what the child wants the child gets. This type of parent is seen as being warm and accepting but flaky. At times this parenting style can be interpreted as being Neglectful because the parent has so little control.
If you haven’t already guessed it, Parenting Old School is rooted in Authoritarian parenting style with definite Authoritative leanings. I do not believe parents need to explain every decision they make to their child. I should not have to make sure that my kids have a set of choices and yes they do have to follow the rules without question. This is all done warmly and lovingly (usually) and on occasion I will involve my kids in decision making but not because they want to but because I feel that it will be beneficial to them in doing so.
Now the permissive style or new school style is where parents seem to be in favor of the pay for A concept. The argument could be raised that to going school is their job and just like at your job, the better you do more better you should be compensated.

II. Why paying children is ineffective A. Don’t understand the concept of money: Kids do not understand the importance of earning money and often don’t really need their own money. If the money does not matter to them, the grades won’t matter. Thus, the promise of getting paid as a reward for good grades is not really a reward. The same argument can be applied to a child that you pay to do tasks around the house. If it comes to a choice of earning $5 to mow the lawn or continuing to play Halo, the kid may not care about the money; he would rather continue his game. To be effective, you must first teach your children to understand the concept how to handle money. I as B. The Marshmallow Effect In the 1960s Walter Mischel conducted a fascinating experiment in which he took 4 year old children and put a marshmallow on a plate in front of them. He then told them that the marshmallow was theirs, but if they waited to eat it until he returned he would give them a second marshmallow as a bonus for waiting. He left the room and the children were observed and timed as to how long they waited before eating the marshmallow. The most fascinating thing about this study is not that some children could wait the entire time he was gone (10–15 minutes), but the longitudinal study that followed the children throughout their early educational lives. It demonstrated that the amount of time a child could wait was an almost direct predictor of future academic and personal success. Fourteen years later Mischel found that the "grabbers" suffered low self-esteem and were viewed by others as stubborn, prone to envy, and easily frustrated. The "waiters" had better coping skills, were more socially competent, self-assertive, trustworthy, dependable, academically successful, and scored about 210 points higher on the SATs. In fact, the ability to delay gratification through self-discipline (as measured by the “Marshmallow Test”) was a better predictor of future success than any other measurement. So even though you may feel you are rewarding your child by giving them money, in all actuality you are hurting them. You should consider alternate methods of reward

III. Alternate ways for reward C. Parent involvement 1. Expand their freedoms. If they have a curfew, stretch it another 30 minutes to an hour. Let them stay up a little later than normal. Allow them to experience some of the independence that comes with success. 2. Treat them to a special dessert after dinner, and let them choose it. It’s a special occasion and worthy of celebration. This sort of recognition is an excellent incentive for all your kids, by the way and won’t cost you too much to leave a lasting memory. 3. Movie Night – If you have a family movie night, let your child pick the flick for the evening, maybe even for the week. Let them have the TV remote for the evening for an optional form of reward, or choose the snacks for the family movie. 4. Media – Some local TV and radio media let their viewers and listeners call in to announce events like birthdays and anniversaries. Why not send a congrats & thank you to your child and publicly acknowledge her efforts? At a minimum, kids actually do like it when you brag about them on Face Book, Twitter, etc. (even though they may act embarrassed). 5. Day Trip – Make arrangements to visit an amusement park, sporting event, museum, movie, whatever. Let your child pick the venue if you like. It will do wonders for his motivation; but most importantly, it will show him that his hard work doesn’t go unnoticed D. Fun Rewards. 1. Get them a cell phone if they don’t already have one, or an upgrade if they do – either a better phone, increased minutes, or texting privileges. Again, the lesson for your child is that when they produce, they earn additional trust and perks. 2. Internet – If you’ve been limiting your kid’s time online, allow him or her to spend some time apart from homework, surfing, or chatting with friends. Good grades show you that they have been doing their part. Now it’s time to do yours (but we would still recommend keeping decent controls on this so they don’t slip into bad habits 3. Video Games – If you’ve been enforcing strict hours of usage on their video games, relax them for a while. Especially if you’ve been harping on them about how it affects their schoolwork, it’s time to show them that it works both ways.
Conclusion:
A. Summarize B. Questions

References: www.princetonacademy.org/. http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style.htm

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

www.wvdhhr.org/