When I was in elementary school, in my family we were expected to get straight As on our report cards. My mother kept a bag of small toys on a high shelf in her closet. When report cards came home, my brother and I would present out cards; all As meant we'd receive a small toy from the stash.

I thought this was pretty cool, right up until I found out that a classmate of mine was actually paid for her grades. She got $10 for every A -- which, back then, was a pretty hefty hunk of cash -- and then there were lesser payouts for Bs and Cs. My quarterly Polly Pocket didn't seem quite so grand, after that.

By the time I hit middle school, well, things took a downturn. For the first time, I occasionally got a B or two (the horror!). The battles that ensued let to a period of time when I did the barest amount of schoolwork possible, always skating on the edge of exactly how poorly I could do before my teachers really became concerned or my mother's head popped off. The emphasis on grades meant that when I rebelled, they were one of the first things to go.

As a result of this, I guess, I make a habit of praising my children's good work in school, but I offer no incentives for good grades beyond that. "Hard work is its own reward!" I tell them. (I mean it, but I also sound like a grizzled old codger, and I know it.) "I'm proud of you, and you should be proud of yourselves, too."

I suspect they'd rather have a toy. Tough.

But it turns out that incentives for grades haven't gone away -- they've only gotten broader and grander. Why should hard work be its own reward when you get can free stuff for it?

Briana Barker reports at The Suburbanite that Coventry, Ohio kids can earn prizes courtesy of Novus:

Novus Clinic is piloting a program to give students incentive to do well in school.

The new program, It Pays to Get A's, allows each student in the Coventry school system to have a chance to win Best Buy gift cards, and registered teachers to win Holcomb's gift cards.

And apparently donuts are a good incentive, too. Over at The Ice House we learn that Krispy Kreme gives up to 6 donuts to each child (1 for every A):

I have 3 school age children. My 5 year old does not get a report card yet, but my older 2 received all "A's" so we're going to be heading over to Krispy Kreme for free donuts this week!

We did this with our last report card last year and we had a ball! We got 1 dozen free donuts, bought 2 milks to share (they are BIG) and enjoyed a fun, frugal snack!

Julie at Luv2BFrugal is also singing the praises of Krispy Kremes for As:

We're headed to the orthodontist in Nashville this afternoon, which means we'll be stopping by Krispy Kreme for free donuts, thanks to several A's on my children's report cards. (I know, I know...orthodontist and donuts = not a good combination. We'll brush afterward, I promise!)

And Jody at One Mom, Five Kids has an entire list of establishments offering grade incentives -- from free pizza to money off clothing at Limited Too. Check out her list, but also heed her warning to call ahead, as some national chains participate at some locations but not others.

I'd admit, I'm a little reward-averse in this department. I doubt this sort of thing actually motivates an otherwise lackluster student, but maybe I'm being too cynical.

Do your kids redeem their grades for freebies? Do you think it's a good idea?

BlogHer Contributing Editor Mir also blogs about issues parental and otherwise at Woulda Coulda Shoulda, and about the joys of mindful retail therapy at Want Not.