Does your kid spend more time interacting with her friends via social media than she does talking to her family? It might be time for a Facebook intervention — complete with signed contracts, no less.
One Boston dad is willing to pay up if his daughter, 14, can manage to stay off the site, Mashable reports. If she makes it to April 15, she'll get $50. 'Til June 26? She'll get $150 more.
To mark her commitment, Paul Baier and his teen both signed a contract titled "Facebook Deactivation Agreement" (he posted it on his personal blog).
The contract states that Baier will be given his daughter's password so he can deactivate her account. And what will she use the money to buy, should she keep her end of the bargain? "Stuff."
Comments to Baier's blog post range from disgust ("You're an idiot, Paul. Why not try something called 'parenting.'") to kudos ("A parent who cares and is actively involved in his daughter's life is a wonderful thing. Two hundred dollars is a very small price to pay for better grades, more time with the family, etc.") to cynicism ("What's stopping her from opening another account in a different name and still getting the money?").
We say we're certainly not above a well-intentioned bribe for our kids now and again — and think this teen has some pretty keen entrepreneurial spirit going on. Facebook is fun. But — who are we kidding here? — stuff is awesome.
What do you think? Is there anything you would pay your child to do – perform well at school, score a goal at soccer, take a break from Facebook?
