A little motivation for hard work

Do I need to provide my kid with some motivation to do well in school and sports? Sometimes. Though they are young, my kids need a little extra push to remind them what's important and maybe help them prioritize. I've seen parents offer money as a reward for certain achievements - academic and athletic. Hit a home run, get $20. Get an "A", $20 goes into your piggy bank. My kid is not a professional athlete, or even a professional student for that matter, I'm not paying her for doing what she should be doing - getting good grades, helping the team by turning in a good individual performance. You work hard, you see results, you are rewarded with a good grade or a good athletic outcome. But we did recently try to light a fire under Diana's academic skin to help her prioritize and help her understand the importance of what she is doing at school. Fourth grade is tough. There is more homework, it's more intense, there are projects and it can be very stressful for a little person. To keep her motivated, we had to offer up a reward. She was promised an American Girl doll for her 10th birthday in June if she gets on the honor roll all year long. Now, keep in mind that her grades area already good. She's on track to make honor roll, but we all need a little motivation and incentive for the end result. Diana was excited about the prospect of finally getting a "real" American Girl doll. She's been working hard, studying well, paying attention in class and hopefully all of that will lead to a great end result. I'm OK with rewarding good things, when it comes as the result of hard work.