What Are We Teaching?

I ate lunch with Todd at school today. One of the boys sitting with us asked me if we gave Todd an allowance. We don't. We are a family and we all work together to get the things done that need to be done. If he wants to earn money, he ways that he can do that.

After that short discussion, this same boy informed me that he received an allowance. $30 a week. For doing his homework. What?

This is a very sweet boy. He is always very polite, nice and respectful to me; however, I know that rarely a week goes by that he completes his assignment. I also know that he has had some discipline issues in the classroom as well.

I am not trying to be judgemental, but I just don't get it. My parents never offered me money -- although I certainly would have accepted it. However, my Daddy's belt was a definite motivator as a discipline method. Let me qualify that to say that I wasn't always as good a student as my parents wanted me to be either. But both my Daddy and I have very vivid memories of 7th grade and me forgetting my Algebra book after two days of him telling me to NOT forget to bring it home. One that third day, he gave me a reminder that I have never forgotten.

Unfortunately this child is being raised with the same method so many of today's children are being raised with -- a sense of entitlement. It is a BAD thing and our future is going to suffer because of it.