Children's allowance - do you pay for chores?

[laura001]

I didn't give my kids an allowance either. They were and are still expected (when they are home) to pitch in and do whatever needs to be done. If everything was being done by them, I always paid for whatever it wasa they were doing (going to the movies, snacks, the store, etc. etc.) within reason.
If they gave me a hard time over helping out, then I just wouldn't give them the money to do what they wanted to do, pretty simple.

As soon as they each turned about 13, they had some sort of a job (newpaper delivery etc.), but they were still expected to pitch in, afterall it is part of being a family.

 

[Reflection]

My daughter is 12. Her allowance is $50/month, paid as $12.50 on the 15th and 30th. Allowance is not tied to chores; she is required to do things around the house because she is a member of the family. She is required to save 5% of her allowance. This money also covers cost of gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Her chores: clean her room, put away her laundry, set table, unload the dishwasher, feed the dog, dusting and vaccuming the livingroom, family room, dining room and kitchen. I do the laundry, scub down the kitchen, mop kitchen, dining and living room floors, and clean the bathrooms. She's asked to switch vaccuming/dusting with cleaning bathrooms and mopping.

Within the next few weeks, I will be teaching her the ins/outs of laundry: sorting clothes, appropriate water temperature and laundry products.

If she balks at doing a chore or does a chore sloppily, then privileges (TV and computer time) are taken away.

She can earn extra money by helping out in my office (filing, sorting, etc.). For this, I pay her $5/hour.

 

[poohandwendy]

Her allowance is $50/month, paid as $12.50 on the 15th and 30th.

You are ripping her off! That is not $50 dollars and I'll bet she knows it! (LOL< just kidding)

 

[Reflection]

You are ripping her off! That is not $50 dollars and I'll bet she knows it! (LOL< just kidding)

Oh my, it is late and I can't add worth a #@#$. She does get $50/month ($25 on the 15th and 30th), and trust me, this kid would know the difference!

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL, I figured it was a late night typo, I just couldn't resist!

 

[MouseWorshipin]

I'm curious - how old are your children? And if you don't mind me asking - how much is "substantial"?

I'm not sure I'm ready to put my kids on the Moreno "payroll" and leave them out on their own to manage all their financial needs - they just don't have the experience. I do know that paying for grades wouldn't be fair in my house. My son is a straight A student without trying very hard, but often makes poor time management choices. My middle daughter tries very hard
in school just to maintain B's. My youngest is also straight A student but unlike my son - is extremely attentive to good time management and tries to always be prepared. I don't think there is a fair way to reward them based on grades.

I hear from the kids that it isn't fair, too. I hear it from the ones who get the lower grades more, though. If I thought that ANY of them were doing as well as they could, I might re-think it, but all of them could be doing better. I just tell them: Life's not fair.

I'm not getting into exactly how much, but they all get enough to pay for what they need, and even a little extra for what they want if they handle it right.

It is my way of giving them the experience they need to handle financial matters. I got an allowance that I used to buy fun stuff, and had a hard time handling money, because I was used to spending it al on clothes and music and stuff. So, I'm trying something different. I think it is working pretty well for us.

But it isn't for everyone, and I've never heard of anyone who did it this way. They range in age from 11-17.

 

[powellrj]

We have our jobs you do because you are a member of our family. We usually work together. They each clean their own rooms, DS does trash, sweeps downstairs, cleans glass. DD dusts, sweeps upstairs.

We pay extra for special jobs like cleaning out the cars, raking and mowing.

We have never paid for grades. Inlaws pay $2 for being on the honor roll. I drives me crazy and I wish they wouldn't do it. DS has a goal for graduation and he has to take some really tough classes this year to have time to take the ones he really wants to take later. He is taking 2 advanced math classes and AP english as a freshman. He has really had a hard time and hasn't always made the honor roll this year. I would rather see him challenge himself than take the easy way out for cash. The $2 has become a joke around our house because the kids know how I feel about paying for grades, and by the time they reach high school, $2 isn't really an incentive to make the honor roll.

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter also gets a few dollars for a good report card but even if it wasn't good and she was really trying she would get it anyway...it is effortless for her right now to get all 100's though but once she gets up higher it will be much harder for her I am sure! She also gets 1.00 for every spelling test she gets 100 on...which is every single friday except one this school year so far!

 

[buddy&wooz]

I give my kids allowances (and not very big ones - enough to cover lunch at school and a little fun money) not tied to chores or grades. I also have a chore chart with daily and weekly chores, and they're just expected to do what's on the list (the list shows whose turn it is to do what, I alternate days of the week and I have a 4 week cycle, it's very complex but it keeps down the fighting about whose turn it is!)

I also have extra chores, things like washing the cars, cleaning out the garage, some heavy yardwork that we'll pay extra for if they want to earn more money.

I've been doing it this way for 4 years (just updated it to include a few more weekly chores and more for the 8 year old to do) and it's just accepted as the way things are in our family. If I get an argument at all it's that they want to wait till after a show is over or something like that, and I usually agree.

The only big issue I have is getting them to do the chores without being reminded, especially the weekly ones. I have yet to see one of them pull out the vacuum without being asked, even though they know it needs to be done!

 

[lbgraves]

We just started giving the kids an allowance this year. They have had responsibilities around the house for a while now. The allowance isn't tied into chores because to us being part of the family means that we all work together. I just read about something to try & think that it will eliminate a little problem that I am having right now. If the child doesn't do their chore, instead of getting upset you simply "hire" another child to do the job. Their pay comes out of the responsible child's allowance.

The main reason for the allowance is to teach them to save. I took them to the bank & opened accounts for them. Half of their allowance has to go in the bank.

 

[Wishing on a star]

My DS does not have an allowance, yet. But he is starting to let me know that he would like one!

I would not 'Pay for Chores' per se. These should be done, allowance, or no allowance.

I would also never never base an allowance on grades. For some of the reasons already mentioned here. Some kids have an easier time with grades than others. My son has a learning disability, and even with a child who does not, school is enough pressure these days all by itself.

What I will do is set an allowance for DS, because I think that is important for kids to have some tiny semblance of spending-freedom. And, it is very important for them to learn money management skills, etc...

That set allowance will be what he receives, unless of course that behavior/chores/homework/etc.. fall to such a level that I feel justified in curtailing his allowance as a disciplinary measure.

I guess to put it simply, he will not have to complete detailed list, make strait A's, and automatically complete any task that I happen to come up with.

He will not have to 'earn' an allowance in this way. I an not his employer, and he is not my emlpoyee, on my payroll. We are a family!

But, he could certainly lose his allowance by negative behaviors and choices.

 

[VickiVM]

My DS does not have an allowance, yet. But he is starting to let me know that he would like one!

I would not 'Pay for Chores' per se. These should be done, allowance, or no allowance.

I would also never never base an allowance on grades. For some of the reasons already mentioned here. Some kids have an easier time with grades than others. My son has a learning disability, and even with a child who does not, school is enough pressure these days all by itself.

What I will do is set an allowance for DS, because I think that is important for kids to have some tiny semblance of spending-freedom. And, it is very important for them to learn money management skills, etc...

That set allowance will be what he receives, unless of course that behavior/chores/homework/etc.. fall to such a level that I feel justified in curtailing his allowance as a disciplinary measure.

I guess to put it simply, he will not have to complete detailed list, make strait A's, and automaticly complete any task that I happen to come up with.

He will not have to 'earn' and allowance in this way. I an not his employer, and he is not my emlpoyee, on my payroll. We are a family!

But, he could certainly lose his allowance by negative behaviors and choices.

That's about how I feel. I think I will still come up with a list of chores so they can see visually what our expectations are of them. Then that will serve as the bar to determine if they are fulfilling their obligations to the family and warrant receiving their allowance. But poor choices and time management among other things will result in no money.