Why Bribery Is Good For Kids

Sean Moran
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

In education, they call it ‘positive reinforcement’. The idea is the child is encouraged to complete a task by the promise of a reward. In the real world, they call it bribery.

When I became a parent, I was working as a teacher so I felt I would be able to get the best out of my son without resorting to waving chocolate in his face. No parent reading this would be surprised that the arrogance of this statement would return to haunt me soon enough.

In short, pretty soon I was using positive reinforcement on a daily basis. Fortunately my son can be bribed/positively reinforced by treats such as extra bedtime stories as well as chocolate and ice-cream, otherwise he would now weigh more than I do.

Last week, when he protested about going over a wobbly bridge on the adventure playground, I found myself promising him an extra bedtime story and he was across like a shot. At the fairground the week before, he refused to go on any rides. As soon as an ice-cream was offered if he sampled the rides, he sprinted towards a vacant racing car.

However, I don’t look upon my reliance on bribery as failure on my part, despite my previously held beliefs. I could view my son as being awkward and stubborn but I don’t think there is any need to be so negative. By holding out for maximum gain, my son is practising skills that will help him in later life. Let’s face it, with very few exceptions, nobody does anything for nothing. If he doesn’t stand his ground people will take advantage of him.

He’s learning a skill that is expertly executed by the best entrepreneurs. As a result, he may even develop into one. Every parent wants to see their child succeed, and I would obviously be duly proud. As long as he remembered who he owed it all to.

Sean Moran

Written by

Comedian | Writer | Parent | Napper

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade