Bribing kids for good behavior, I know I am guilty of this. I usually end up buying my kids each a small toy if they are good when we are waiting at the pharmacy. Ian starts yelling "LOLLIPOP!" as soon as we walk into a doctor's office. Good trips to the grocery store are often rewarded with goldfish or apples.
I come by this honestly. My Dad was one of those parents who paid us for good report cards. I got my car when I got on the honor roll in 11th grade. I was equally punished for bad grades, I had to pay my Dad for any D's or F's that showed up, but most of the time I was working, not so much for the good grades, but for the prize. I parent this way because this is what I responded to growing up. In fact, up until my kids were born I worked in sales because I needed the incentive of commission to motivate me. It is all about what I get for what I do.
This can be a problem. I am not at all unusual for our generation. The Gen X parents are raising our children with a sense of entitlement that rivals our own. Are out kids just growing up doing what we want for the rewards? Maybe. Is that good or bad? I don't know.
