5minfreewrite - No incentives(the day my parent dealt with me)
No Incentives
Life has a way of teaching us lessons, sometimes in the hardest ways possible. For me, Wale, a boy who loved my weekly treats, the lesson came when I lost all my incentives because of my own bad behavior.
I was used to getting small rewards every week—maybe a candy, extra playtime, or even a little pocket money. These incentives were given to me because I did my chores, finished my homework, and behaved well. But one week, I decided I didn’t want to follow the rules anymore. I refused to do my homework, talked back to my parents, and even broke a vase while playing rough in the house.
My parents warned me: "If you keep this up, you won’t get your incentives this week." But I didn’t listen. I thought they were just trying to scare me.
Then came the weekend—the day I usually got my reward. My parents sat me down and said, "Wale, because of how you behaved this week, there will be no incentives for you."
At first, I didn’t believe it. I waited, thinking they would change their minds. But they didn’t. No candy. No extra playtime. No special treat.
That’s when it hit me. I had taken my rewards for granted. Now that they were gone, I realized how much they meant to me. I felt sad, but more than that, I felt disappointed in myself.
The next week, I tried harder. I did my chores without being told. I finished my homework early. I spoke kindly to my family. And when the weekend came, my parents smiled and gave me my incentives again.
This time, I didn’t just enjoy my reward—I earned it. And I promised myself I would never take it for granted again.
The Lesson
Sometimes, we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. Incentives—whether they are treats, praise, or privileges—are not just gifts. They are rewards for good behavior. When we misbehave, we lose them. And that loss teaches us something important: good things come to those who work for them.
I learned this the hard way. But in the end, it made me better.
And maybe, just maybe, my story can teach you something too.
Thanks for reading my post