To give a cash reward to the twin who gets the best GCSE results?

[Stackss]

DS and DD are both in year 11 so have their GCSEs coming up shortly. Both are bright and of very similar if not identical academic ability and are predicted very similar grades.

Both are relatively hard working (although with a tendency to coast) but DH and I would really like them to knuckle down and push themselves to get the best grades possible.

We therefore came up with the idea of an effort-based reward scheme allowing them to earn treats for completing revision- e.g. 75 hours= a meal out, 150 hours= a night away etc.

However, both twins have suggested that instead, the twin who gets the best results should receive the whole cash reward. They are both competitive with each other and have said this would give them greater incentive to work harder.

My concern is that the twin who doesn't do as well will be doubly disappointed on results day as they will also get no reward. Should I go with the twins' suggestion?

this is gonna cause your children intense burnout and you are putting so much weight on theirrevision and grades it's disgusting in my opinion, you are aware retakes are an option

Just wow. Almost speechless.

But I have to say I’m against motivating kids to learn (or do stuff around the house) for money or whatever. In my opinion, the best motivation (in the long run) is intrinsic motivation: Genuine ambition vs status/ money.

This was painful to read.
such a dysfunctional, unhealthy dynamic.

@Stackss

your kids, your life, I'd start saving though...

they're going to need therapy & I think it's only fair YOU pay for it.

Horrible horrible idea. Tell them a hard no and explain why- that you want them to both succeed and to celebrate each other too!

Better to follow my mother's method - 'I don't care whether you do well or not. You could get a job in a shop without them and then you'd be doing something useful like bringing some money in like your brothers'.

You think our elite inteligensa work in the city gambling with other people's money. You're wrong. The city is about entitlement and connections and adds little value to our societies.
This whole thread shows why we place no value on empathy and caring in our society and why we only value achiement in monetary terms. Beat your twin and you get the cash. If you read about Trump's upbringing this was exactly his family dynamic. Whilst his case is extreme, you see the traits in people everywhere.

I don't see this as good. You're setting your kids up with warped ideas when it comes to their careers. The people who work the hardest aren't necessarily the ones who get promoted or get ahead . Effort is not directionally proportional to result.

Months of revision is not needed to achieve good results.

Reward results, not effort. That’s what the real world is like.

Exactly. I'm hoping it's not true, which seems likely.

My DC did GCSEs last summer. Our cash reward scheme was based on predicted grades = £50 and £25 + or - for anything above or below predicted and £100 for a 9, plus a Reading Festival ticket for the hard work.

I don't think offering money to the highest achiever is a good way to motivate either of them.
If you feel you have to "bribe" with cash just set up a sliding scale of money versus grade.
Alternatively you could ask them, individually, what they would like for doing well in their exams. One might prefer driving lessons or similar, whilst the other might want to go on a special holiday with friends.

It’s time for them to move away from competitive behaviour if they want to excel.

I work in a field in which everyone has had significant academic success. Without exception, the people who are most successful amongst this cohort of successful people are those who are only competing with themselves. The least successful are those who always have their eye on the ‘competition’ - they simply cannot focus as well, and their goals are limited to being slightly better than the next person.

If they want to succeed they need to learn to focus, and to set more ambitious goals than doing a bit better than someone else in your house.

Oh - time-based revision is also not the basis for excellence. There’s lots of good information available on evidence-based study practices

Terrible idea

Dreadful idea

I don't get this thing of paying children to get good exam results. Doing well is in itself the benefit - pride in oneself, opens doors to better life opportunities etc. That's the prize, they should be doing it for themselves. Why would you pay them? I pay my DC to do jobs because that has a benefit for me. Why would I pay them to get good exam results when the benefit is all theirs? There's no logic to this, it teaches a really weird lesson.

This is an awful idea.

My parents set up a reward system for grades which was a good incentive but we both got paid the same amount in the end, I think it was more like an average between the two or the highest amount or something. It was equal but it made us both work and encourage each other. It depends on the twins though, competition does not work for me and would have had the opposite result.

I can’t think of anything worse tbh! Reward effort not results. Or reward th both for doing well.

How would you police the number of hours they’d revised? I’m guessing they’d be revising in their rooms?

I’d go with the suggestion of money per grade for one of my DC. For the other, I’d reward effort.

They’re not close in age so it’d be fine

So, lie to them on top of it?

If they came up with the Ida and are willing to try and know what's involved, then may the best twin win,

Besides to all, is this not any different than corporations use when it's eg performance related bonus ?

without the city their would be little economy, we need wall Street etc,

This is horrendous. Your poor children.