LONDON, May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Exam season is upon
on us. As students try to cope during this pressure-cooker
time, many parents are turning to reward children for their hard
work not just exam success according to a survey by nimbl, the
leading pocket money card and app for 6 to 18 year olds.
The survey highlights that although parents want their children
to do well, getting the top results is not the number one priority
for the majority of those surveyed, with 8 in 10 primarily
want to show their appreciation for their child's efforts and 6
in10 want to motivate them to work hard.
Parents surveyed expressed that the motivation to reward their
child for academic achievements has broadened. More than half
the parents want to help foster important life skills such as
focus and a good work ethic. This signals an attitudinal
shift from previous years where focus was more on rewarding
children to achieve top grades.
Majority surveyed (8 in 10) believe that rewards help their
child understand the connection between hard work and financial
rewards, with over 1 in 2 believe it is very important to
give rewards to encourage them to work hard in school. 4 in
10 parents feel that introducing rewards early on can prepare
children for the competitive nature of the workforce and help
develop valuable skills such as discipline and goal
setting.
"The rewards should be varied and discussed - something that the
children will appreciate but not expect as a given. This should
motivate and encourage them to work hard and develop a work habit
that will help them throughout their lives. They understand
it's given for their dedication not high scores," said Sylvia
(region), son xx (17).
With the growth of children's mental health issues reaching
crisis point according to the NHS, the nimbl survey found that 47%
of parents prioritise their child's mental health over academic
success and 49% want to achieve a balance their child's academic
success with their overall happiness and mental health.
The survey highlighted that support for academic achievement
also came from other family members and friends (6 in 10), with
grandparents playing a key role in rewarding their grandchildren,
nearly 1 in 2.
Experts argue putting a price on academic achievements may
undermine the intrinsic motivation for learning, the importance of
intellectual curiosity and passion for knowledge. When students are
solely motivated by money or rewards, there is a risk that the joy
of learning and personal growth may take a back seat.
Ultimately, there is no right answer and parents can feel
conflicted even when they are using incentives and question if it
is putting more pressure on their child. The Nimble survey
showed 1 in 10 parents often feel conflicted and 3 in 10 sometimes
feel conflicted.
Alana Parsons, nimbl, Chief
Executive, said: "As you would expect there are many opposing
views on incentivising children to study. But what the nimbl
survey does signal in Mental Health Awareness month is that
whatever side of the fence you sit on, we need to address the
narratives around academic achievements and the values we nurture
in our children's formative years to pave a way to a healthier and
more successful society and future workforce."
Notes to Editor
nimbl surveyed 353 parents of children aged under 11 – 18 years
old. Full release here
About nimbl
nimbl is an award-winning pocket money card and app, designed
with parents, carers and young people in mind.
https://www.nimbl.com/
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