Why does giving rewards to children have the potential to make them act up?

Question

i posted a question a few weeks ago about what reward i should give out to my second graders for being good while we had a substitute.

one answerer responded, "You shouldn't give children rewards for food behavior because it actually will make them act worse." then they suggested a book for me to read -- unfortunately the book is out of print.

i wanted to email the person and ask what they meant, but they had their ims and emails blocked.

Answer 1

I agree with Nicole.  If you reward children for things that they are expected to do anyway such as good behavior, then it turns into a trend that will only repeat itself with the result of a reward.  If my son behaves himself at his grandparents house (for a change) I praise him to high heaven.  Take him to chuch e cheese's because of it?  I think not!  Then what happens when I dont' take him to Chuck E Cheese the next time?  Then he'll cut up somewhere else!  This is where the unconscious ultimatium comes in from the child and though I'm not a terribly strict parent, rewards are for something above and beyond, a great achievement.. getting 100 on a test when he studies extra hard and normally isn't able to achieve 100... etc...

Answer 2

dFor both children and adults, rewards tend to make behavior worse over time because they are working for the reward, rather than the inherent good feeling that comes from a job well done.  When the reward itself no longer is enough of a motivator, the person becomes discouraged and gives up trying.

There is an excellent book on this subject called Punished By Rewards.  If it is not in print anymore, you can get a used copy through Amazon.

Answer 3

I don't think rewarding a child for good behavior will make them act up, but I don't think you should give a reward for behavior that they should have anyway. If you are trying to modify bad behavior, you compliment the good behavior when you see it. If the child is generally good, you should not reward them for behaving as they should. You could give them a compliment like " I am very proud of how well you behaved for the sub." I do not "treat" my children for clearing their spot after dinner because it is what is expected of them. I do however thank them for doing it. Maybe the person meant that the child will expect a reward every time they do anything remotely good, thus you find yourself with a child with expectations of rewards for having generally good behavior. I hope that helps.

Answer 4

I don't think that giving rewards occasionally is a bad thing and that sounds like what you were doing.

To answer your question, it's my opinion that rewarding children for everything or most things will affect them in the long term. They will expect to be rewarded for everything they do. Think about how life is as an adult. Do you get rewarded for everything? Your job as a teacher or a parent is to prepare the children for adulthood.

As the new wave of "rewarded children" are entering the job market, employers are complaining that these college grads expect to walk into a job with a high salary and not have to work from the ground up. Something to think about.

Answer 5

Its not that giving them a reward with make them act worse its how you give it to them like say you give your son a new bike for cleaning the whole house and then when he cleans the dishes you give him a dollar or maybe five. Say next he washes the dishes you only give him a piece of candy maybe he will act up because he was expecting Five bucks for the ice cream he was going to buy later.  

Now i don't believe this but maybe that's what the person meant i think that you shouldn't give kids rewards for what they are supposed to do. But if while the substitute was there and maybe she said your son is one of my best students. Then a reward would be something you would give him. The only thing you should give rewards to when they do something right is an animal because they don't understand words. But for a second grader. Just tell him he did really good. I mean you could take him for ice cream.

Sorry Hope i helped