LOL Would you pay for this? (Kids/chores)

[Brownsfan317]

My DS, now 13, receives chore money. I started to pay him when he entered 6th grade (middle school for him). He was starting to need spending money to hang with his friends going to movies and things, so I decided to provide a specific chore list with a fixed amount each week to give to him. It is his responsibility to track his money (I gave him a spreadsheet and teaching him how to balance his "account") and if he wants something such as a game or to go out with friends, he uses his money.

There are certain exceptions that I will pay for. He went to Cedar Point on a class field trip for physics day. He already had a pass, but I gave him spending money.

The list varies from month to month, especially with a change in season (mowing the lawn vs. snow blowing the driveway), but I stole a line from my job description at work that is included on all his chore lists: "all other duties as assigned."

I think it is fantastic that your DS11 understands that if she wants something, she needs to earn it. I would definitely pay her!

 

[ceecee]

All that for only $5. I would do that in a second. The way I see it - there is probably not many opportunities to make extra money so she is trying to find ways to get some. I have no problem doing this. I would still expect they do their normal chores without pay but something like this I think would be a win win for all.

Get her while you can. My DD is 17 and hates to do any chore even for $.

 

[richmond282]

I absolutely would do it. She wanted something (and Books at that ). She figured out how much it would cost, how much more she needed, and then proposed specific tasks she is willing to do to earn the $. Sounds like she understands how it works.

 

[descovy]

My kids don't have allowance, but I do pay per chore. Rate of pay is largely determined about how badly I don't want to do it!

High paying jobs around here are vacuuming the stairs, cleaning out the car, emptying or loading the dishwasher.

Another favorite is doing laundry or vacuuming couch cushions. Whatever money you find in pockets/cushions is yours to keep!

 

[irishsharon]

Yeah, I absolutely would pay her for that. She budgeted, found a marketable skill she has, was entrepreneurial in asking for the work and even planned ahead to ensure she still has her nest egg - these are all huge life lessons she's learned and I would be so proud of her I would burst! Good job Mom!!

Totally agree!!!!!!!

 

[Mama Who]

I just got this email from DD11:

if I do lots of work (picking up lots of sticks, picking up lots of rocks, cleaning my room, cleaning house, wash clothes, wash dishes, clean mirrors & windows, pick up piano bench next to window seat, clean porch & new
bathroom) will you give me $5?

I told her I thought not because then she would always want money for chores, but in my mind I thought maybe it was a good deal after all! I remember my mom occasionally offering money for chores but it wasn't consistent. I have not paid the girls for it before. At what point is it above & beyond normal helping out??

I would respond, "You will do XYZ because those are your jobs, but I will pay you to do ABC."

 

[neatokimmo]

Oh, if you want funny, try my DD6. Two years ago, at age 4, she asked me if I would give her a dime for every sweet gum ball that she picked up in the yard that day. (My neighbor has a tree and we get a lot of blowback from it.)

I said sure, as I figured she would pick up a few dozen and tire of the game. Boy, was I wrong! She picked up 460 of the darn things, made me sit there and watch her count them out, and then proudly collected her $46!

No one put her up to it, she came up with that scam on her own.

Ha I got scammed like this too! It was $1 per walmart bag of magnolia pods. 15 bags later we magically ran out of bags. I literally hid them in my closet lol

 

[Eureka]

My kids get an allowance not tied to anything and are also expected to do a few things around the house but don't get paid for it....feeding the cat, setting the table, loading the dishwasher etc. My 10 yr old is an entrepreneur in the making and always wants to earn money for things. We have a lot of trees in or backyard so in the fall, I pay him to pick up the tons of pine cones and put them in yard waste bags. Mainly because I hate doing it. I just got a new vacuum cleaner and he thinks it's cool and wants to vacuum for me. He said I should pay him to do it. I said no way, because nobody pays me to vacuum! This is the same kid who the other day told me we should raise his allowance. I asked why does he need more - his brother got more once he started middle school and is expected to pay for any snacks he wants to buy at lunch, but this one is still in elementary and doesn't have that option- and he said because he just wants more money. I laughed at that one and said good luck with that!

 

[Eureka]

Oh, if you want funny, try my DD6. Two years ago, at age 4, she asked me if I would give her a dime for every sweet gum ball that she picked up in the yard that day. (My neighbor has a tree and we get a lot of blowback from it.)

I said sure, as I figured she would pick up a few dozen and tire of the game. Boy, was I wrong! She picked up 460 of the darn things, made me sit there and watch her count them out, and then proudly collected her $46!

No one put her up to it, she came up with that scam on her own.

I told my son gum balls don't count, only pine cones. But he still needs to pick them up, lol. I pay 2 cents each for pine cones. Usually there is a $10 cap applied.

 

[gorkt]

Split the difference - have certain chores that the kids do as part of being a family, then put up a jobs board with jobs and amounts that the kids can earn extra money.

 

[robinb]

I just got this email from DD11:

if I do lots of work (picking up lots of sticks, picking up lots of rocks, cleaning my room, cleaning house, wash clothes, wash dishes, clean mirrors & windows, pick up piano bench next to window seat, clean porch & new
bathroom) will you give me $5?

I told her I thought not because then she would always want money for chores, but in my mind I thought maybe it was a good deal after all! I remember my mom occasionally offering money for chores but it wasn't consistent. I have not paid the girls for it before. At what point is it above & beyond normal helping out??

Yes. I give my DD a allowance. It helped with the "gimmies" at a younger age (like 11) when we went shopping. She had to pay for her own candy, toys, etc. I think that $5 is a bargain!

 

[Alexander]

I just got this email from DD11:

if I do lots of work (picking up lots of sticks, picking up lots of rocks, cleaning my room, cleaning house, wash clothes, wash dishes, clean mirrors & windows, pick up piano bench next to window seat, clean porch & new
bathroom) will you give me $5?

I told her I thought not because then she would always want money for chores, but in my mind I thought maybe it was a good deal after all! I remember my mom occasionally offering money for chores but it wasn't consistent. I have not paid the girls for it before. At what point is it above & beyond normal helping out??

Send her to my house, I will give her $10 for all of that work!

 

[reginaastralis]

I'd do it.

My 8yo really wanted to go to summer camp. It was $400 for the week, I told her she had to earn $100. I came up with a list of chores she could do to earn the money, and each one was worth .25. I never in my life thought I'd convince my dd to clean the toilet, but she did ... though she asked for .50 for that.

Let me just say, she cleans the toilet a-mazing-ly. She legitimately scrubs every inch of the toilet, the base of the toilet and the floor around it. I wouldn't say I'd eat off the toilet after, but ... it's pretty close

There are certain things totally worth it in my opinion. My dd earned the $100 she needed, has saved $25, bought a bunch of junk she didn't really need and has saved some money for Toys for Tot for Christmas. She had a blast at summer camp, and asked to go for two weeks next summer. The day she got home, she divided up her money she'd earned, and put money in for next summer.

 

[Jeff_G]

I would pay it, teach your child that work = pay = rewards. My kids work off of commission, they have a chore list for which they get paid. They also have chores they must do that they do not get paid for. And some of the paid chores and mandatory.

 

[aprilgail2]

So, she wants to buy books:
The full Warriors series on Amazon for $26.79 with free
>shipping and it
> can ship in 24 hours. I have $23.13. All I need is
>$3.66. I asked for $5
> instead so I would have leftover money.

She just kills me sometimes!

I would give it to her for sure if she was buying books with it. Books are a freebie in my house- anytime my daughter wants a book I have no problem buying it for her, never make her use her own money for them.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Mine had certain chores they were expected to do because they live in our house. If they wanted to do chores beyond that, they could come to me or DW and we'd give them a list and what we'd pay.

 

[gr8leg8]

So, she wants to buy books:
The full Warriors series on Amazon for $26.79 with free
>shipping and it
> can ship in 24 hours. I have $23.13. All I need is
>$3.66. I asked for $5
> instead so I would have leftover money.

She just kills me sometimes!

Could Belle deliver a crisp $5 under her pillow with a note
Enjoy the books.