Tag Archives: bribes

Is it Ever Ok to Bribe your Kids?

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How do you get your children to do what you want them to? What do you do to encourage them to do certain things and to refrain from doing other things? Many parents have, at least sometimes, resorted to bribing their children. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Is it ever ok to bribe your kids? New findings reveal some interesting answers to these questions. First, it would be helpful to figure out what a bribe is (and what it isn’t). Author Ellen Perry points out that there is a continuum to be aware of. Motivation is one one end, … Continue reading →

Some Kids don’t go in for Bribes

Positive reinforcement can be a fabulous parenting tool, as can using rewards for desired behavior and effort. There are those children, however, who can be tough cases—they just do not go in for bribes and rewards and it can be a real challenge for a parent to figure out how to influence the desired results. Charts, rewards, special privileges—all of these can be really great ways to motivate children. Not all children will go in for such things however. If a child already has everything and anything that he might desire, how will getting more “stuff” or privileges be a … Continue reading →

Using Gifts and Bribes

First of all, I want to admit right up front that I have definitely used “positive reinforcement” with my kids. I am not someone who thinks that we parents should never offer treats in order to encourage our children to behave or improve behavior, but I do think that we need to keep things in perspective. I realize that the using and giving of gifts and bribes in order to get our kids to do what we want them to, or what we think they should is controversial. But, like most things, I think there is a way to apply … Continue reading →