Should parents be rewarded -- or punished -- for their kids' school attendance?

Neither way should they be rewarded or punished for
attendance. I have held my daughters and sons out of school so I could personally take them somewhere. I once just took my daughter shopping lunch and conversation. Time is very valuable. You need to decide what is most important. as I type this I will never get back the TIME it took to write.

I value everyone that posts here or anywhere as you have given of yourself the most precious gift we have and that is Time. I am sure I am not the oldest but I know for sure I am not the youngest.

Imsabm,
Yes, it is much easier when children are younger and listen to you more. This is the time when parents NEED to set the stage for the behavior they want then to display the rest of their lives. Remember, "I said to bend the tree in the direction you want it to grow when it is first planted- If you wait until it's roots are established, it will be impossible to redirect the growth". Illness and other emergencies are expected and understandable as we are all humans. However, PARENTS should be setting the rules in the home. NOT the children. The notion that parents have no control over their high school student (teenager) is not the right answer. As a matter of fact, that's the root of the problem. Children can't decide which rules they are going to follow and which ones they aren't just because they don't like the rules. So many parents make excuses for their children, that children have come to expect that they will automatically be rescued by their parents with yet another excuse, whether it is appropriate or not. Break the excuse mold and create an accountability mold . We (at least I and most people I know) in the REAL WORLD are tired of dealing with unprepared would be grown ups who dont' have the tools to function in a society that was built on rules and respect for others. It creates a problem for you, them and us. I am adamant about this issue. Your child's behavior reflects directly on you, the parent. The parent is the FIRST teacher. If the parent fail to do their job at raising their children, how can they expect anyone else to be successful with their child? We need to go back to the basics of being parents and forget about being our children's friends, playmates and other foolishness. Two children, ages 26 & 23 and they have never uttered one profane word or talked back to me inappropriately. My mother died when I was 46 & I gave her that same RESPECT.

What age of children are we talking about, and what sort of circumstances are there?

Elementary school aged children rely on their parents for most things. So, yes, the parents are responsible for their children attending school. But, is the child a sickly or disabled one to a point that constant attendance is physically impossible? Has there been a situation that came to be that caused this child to miss a week, like the death of a family member?

Middle school children do greatly depend on their parents, but they are beginning to get to the point of making strong decisions by themselves, such as whether or not to skip school. So, parents should be held accountable... to a point. You can tell children until you're blue in the face that school is important and attendance is crucial, but for some it goes in one ear and out the other. Yet again, you have to take circumstances into account.

High school students. These kids are pretty much independent. Most get themselves up and off to school. And, it's not uncommon for high schoolers to skip and/or ditch, especially with friends. Bad friends often lead to bad decisions. But, parents don't choose their children's friends; you can't tell them to stay away from someone and expect them to listen--where there's a will, there's a way. So, that should lie mostly on the children, not the parents. Circumstances do apply here, too. Life events can happen at any age.

So many pros and cons. When a child has the means of getting to school and just takes the day off, then the parents should get a call from the school as to why there child was absent. If a note is forgotten, the school calls and the parent gives the reason why. If the student is consistantly truant then the parents are called in. Every absense has different circumstances. Yes, we are to be held responsible for our children. Get the resources you need that will be given to you at your childs school. Students have always been given a certificate for outstanding attendance since my children were in school. If it is just not following rules by the parent/parents and just being stubborn, then the parents have to follow the school handbook. They need to get assistance for their child or the CHILD can get help by talking to a teacher.