A crafty dad makes his sons give PowerPoint presentations whenever they try to persuade him to treat them to video games or boost their pocket money.
Phil Quickenden claims the unusual practice has boosted his kids' confidence as well as equipping them with skills for the workplace.
The civil servant was struck with inspiration a few years ago, after repeatedly being told by teachers that son Josh Quickenden, 15, didn't speak up in class.
When the schoolboy came to his dad asking for a treat from Fortnite, Phil set him the task of creating a PowerPoint presentation to persuade him to part with the cash.
After successfully bagging the money, the teen now conjures up a slideshow whenever he wants some extra money on top of their £20-a-month allowance.
Younger brother Sam Quickenden, 10, now gets in on the act, successfully presenting his first PowerPoint earlier this month.
In a LinkedIn post on October 10th, the dad-of-two claimed presentation skills were worth practicing from a young age, before joking that Sam 'lost a point for presenting in his dressing gown'.
Phil, from Ipswich, Suffolk, said: "One parent's evening a couple years ago, a consistent message I was hearing from Josh's teachers was 'he's a bright lad but he doesn't speak out in class.
"He's very quiet'. I was thinking about how I could motivate him to feel like he could contribute to class.
"By coincidence, later that night, he came to ask if we could buy a scheme on Fortnite as a treat for a good parent's evening.
"I said that I wanted him to work on the feedback from his teachers and do a bit of a presentation for us, even if it was just half a dozen slides on why we should buy him a Fortnite scheme.
"The presentation stuck and now it's something I've done a few times with the kids as a way to motivate them."
Younger son Sam has now stepped up to give his first family presentation and spared no effort in preparing his slideshow.
Phil said: "This was Sam's first time doing a presentation. It took him a long time to do, he had to download the pictures off the internet and research the content.
(Kennedy News and Media)
"He had to go hunting around for the content. It was no small effort, it probably took him two or three hours.
"The presentation is normally tied to the prize they're after.
"Sam's was about this computer game that he wanted, so he gave me context about the history of the game, the creator of the game and the main characters.
"He was talking about how it was a 'Sandbox game'. That means a lot of the game involves practicing to build up skills and techniques.
"He was talking about how it'd keep him entertained and to persuade us of the benefits.
"The presentations are normally about five minutes long."
The boys are given £20 a month to spend, but have to give a mini-address in the living room if they want something extra.
Phil said: "They'll do a presentation anytime they want to spend money that's outside their usual allocation of £20 a month.
"Anything that is above that or if they've already spent the £20 before something appears, they need to do a presentation for me and their mum.
"The boys enjoy doing the presentations. They've certainly gotten used to it, they enjoy the opportunity.
"It's had a massive impact - particularly with Josh - in building his confidence. He can contribute in class and feel more comfortable doing that.
"They're also learning those important PowerPoint skills and presentation skills. They're really important in the workplace.
"Both my kids grew up in a pandemic. Those two years where schooling was interrupted meant they didn't have that exposure to speak up in class.
(Kennedy News and Media)
"There'll be a presentation every other month.
"Generally, it'll be asking money for computer games. But sometimes with Josh, it'll be clothing he's asking about.
"This is definitely a good way for us to have conversations. As a family, we'll watch the presentations together.
"The kids will associate reward with effort. It's great for them to gain that understanding that they'll gain what they work for.
"The presentations have always convinced me. I can see the effort that's been put in.
"I've mentioned the presentations to a few other people and they certainly laugh when they hear the story.
"I've had people say it's a great idea and they'll try it with their kids at some point."
Phil's full post reads: "Does anyone else make their kids do a presentation to earn a pocket money treat?
"In this house, the value of the purchase dictates the amount of slides required.
"Topic is always to convince dad that this is something he should part with his money for.
"Joking aside, presentation skills are something worth practising from a young age and sadly not yet given sufficient time at school.
"He lost a point for presenting in his dressing gown."
Phil's approach to parenting was praised by other LinkedIn users.
One wrote: "Great idea Phil. I get my 7 year olds to put certain requests in writing (mainly to practice his handwriting or spellings on something that motivates him enough to actually sit and do it)."
Another commented: "Teach them while they are young, and it's a skill for life."
Another user wasn't as enthusiastic and wrote: "Nope, fat chance."
