Mother of two

The Reward

All right I will let everyone know what

the reward is. You probably will think we

have lost it. And maybe we have. But we

were desperate, and desperate times call for

desperate measures. First of all let me explain

the problems we had with homework. Both kids

were frankly not doing it. After dinner I would sit

them down and ask what they needed to do for

homework and for the most part they would lie

and say they had none. So my next line of defense

was that it didn't matter if they had no homework

or not, they had to study for 30 minutes. That didn't

work either. We tried paying them for A's and B's

I think $10 for A's $5 for B's $0 for C's and

any D's of F's canceled the whole thing out.

That didn't work either. Every night was a fight.

I would go through notebooks, bags, see what I

could find. I was emailing and talking to teachers.

Jake and I were so frustrated, that when the end

of the year came we were actually glad to get a break

from homework. The kids grades weren't so bad.

Mostly b's but with an A here or there. And there

was a scattering of C's D's and and F once or twice.

With these grades came groundings. No TV, no video

games, no friends over......on and on and on.

You get the picture. And the bad grades came

from not doing homework. I was beside myself.

I was being a good mom and making sure they had

time away from distractions so they could do their

homework. I would look in their bags for it, I would ask

them "what" homework they had instead of

asking "if" they had any homework. I was going crazy.

So over the summer Jake and would talk about it

together and not really come up with anything.

We were tired of the lying and the fighting. It was

wearing on us both. So a week before school started

I was doing something in the kitchen and he was

reading on the couch. The kids were out swimming.

He all of a sudden said. Ah ha!!! I figured it out. I

know how to get them to do better in school.

I was pretty flabergasted when he announced his

idea. All I said is all right, if you think "we" can

make good on it.

So we told the kids. This is reward is stricktly for

All A's on a report card. We wouldn't count mid-terms.

Just quarter and semester grades. If they got

any b's or below they wouldn't get anything.

(We don't think getting b's are bad, but we

needed to shake things up in our household)

So if you get all A's 1st quarter you get $25.

I know it doesn't sound like much especially

since other like bribes like that didn't work.

But just wait....it gets lots better.

(atleast for the kids)

All A's for the 2nd quarter $50

All A's for the 3rd quarter $100

All A's for the 4th quarter $200

Total: $375

This is each person.

Are we crazy? Probably. But let me tell

you. The kids got very giddy when Jake

unrolled the plan. I got light headed.

But since school has started, there is no fighting

over homework. Even if they have one

problem in Math left to do from earlier in

the day, they do it at home instead of

trying to get it done at school the next day.

They are actually studying for tests.

They are telling us about projects when

they find out about it not the night before.

And working on them right away.

Now we are not going to let the kids spend

every penny on frivilous nothings. The money

is going to be put in the bank till the last report card

so they have the full amount. Then they will get a big

chunk probably $100 to spend how they want,

then they save the rest.

When I saw Sam's mid-terms I knew that this

was worth it. 5A+'s 2 A's and 2B's. He was my

biggest fighter. Being a teenager. He loves to fight.

But he loves money like they all do, even more.

And he has never had the opportunity for

this much.

The other great thing about this, is since the

mid-terms have come out, Sam and Liz have

come to me on there own, about how they are

going to raise their grades from B's to A's.

And none of those plans are make sure I get

my homework in, because they already do.

Liz talked to her teachers on her own and

found out that her B's were from quizes that

she didn't do so well on. So she is making

sure she studies and makes sure she understands

the concepts. Sam did the same thing.

I was a little scared when they started Cross Country.

I was sure they would be too tired to do

homework. And it would be a battle again.

but, they just come home, take a quick dip in

the pool, eat a snack and get back to work.

It is great. Now I am a realist. I don't

know how long this will last. I hope it lasts through

high school. But I know my children. It may get old.

But until then, I am enjoying "homework time".

I am enjoying not fighting.(Well over homework atleast)

And I love seeing how proud they are of

themselves.