A debate has been raised by VietNamNet’s readers about whether to give money to children to reward for children’s efforts.

A lot of Vietnamese parents nowadays believe that giving money to children is the best way to ask the children to do the things they want.

When asking the son, a 3rd grader, to go to the shop near his home to buy a pack of cigarettes, Kien in Hoai Duc district in Hanoi, said: “Go and buy. I will give you VND5,000.”

The boy immediately left for the cigarette shop, without any words. VND5,000 is the sum of money he always receives after fulfill a thing as requested by the parents. Therefore, he believes that paying money is a must when someone is served.

When asked why Kien promised to give the boy VND5,000, Kien smiled and said that if he had not offered the “award,” the boy would not have left for buying cigarettes for him. As such, Kien now can earn his money by providing services to his father.

Hue, a mother in Thanh Tri district, also thinks that it would be better to encourage children with money. Every time when her child cries or refuses meals, she would promise to give the child money.

“My child suffers from the anorexia. Therefore, I have to promise to give her VND2,000 to persuade him to eat meat,” she said. “Sometimes I have to give VND5,000”

When asked if this is a good way to use money to educate children, Vietnamese parents all have a common voice that this should not be an education method. Surprisingly, both Kien and Hue do not agree to the education method. However, they still use the way every day to seek their wishes fulfilled.

Educators have warned the parents who try to use money to educate children that the cash bonus would “harm” the children. They would always bargain with parents about the sums of money the parents need to give them when asking them to do something. Especially, they would not understand the value of the money, and that their parents can only earn money from sweated labor.

Ha, the man in Quoc Oai district in Hanoi, related that one day, she asked a niece to go buying a pack of cards for the guests to play after the family party. As the niece said she did not want to go under the sun, Ha gave VND2,000 to the girl, saying that this is the award for her.

However, to Ha’s surprise, the girl did not accept the “gift.” “You cannot buy anything with VND2,000 now,” the girl said. Finally, she only left for the pack of cards after Ha gave her a VND,5000 bank note.

“Instead of using money to stimulate children, why don’t parents think of bringing the kids to the parks or buying the toys they like?” Huong, a parent whose child goes to the Song Phuong Primary School questioned.

In the eyes of international labor managers, Vietnamese people keep a combination of odd features: they are both frugal and squandered.

While the students in 1990s were told that money would associate with crimes, the students in the 21st century believe that everything can be bought with money, while they would not go to school if the parents to not give them money.

Nowadays, in many families, money is given to children when they fulfill normal duties such as doing home exercises, cleaning rooms, washing dishes or taking care for younger brothers.