We don't pay our 6-year old to do chores because we view it as simply being part of a family unit. My problem is that I struggle with actually asking her to do chores. I'm still in the mode where I do mostly everything myself, but I am working on correcting this both for my sanity and for her growth.
When our daughter is older, we will give her the opportunity to earn money for what we consider "extra" jobs.
"Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just hit a button and your ad from last week would shoot to the top of the page today? Well, sorry, that won’t happen. Craigslist has put measures in place to stop that. Mostly it’s to stop spam posters from engulfing the site."
Our daughter has regular weekly chores that she is "required" to do and optional chores that she can make extra money by doing. The idea being that she gets an allowance based on doing her required chores and can augment that if she does extra. If her mom or dad end up doing any of her required chores, predetermined sums of money are deducted from her standard weekly allowance.
In my family we didn't get an allowance, but then I don't remember a structured chore system either. We did get "hired" by a relative on occasion to clean my bachelor uncle's house. I like the idea of having chores that are not tied to money; but they can earn by doing extra things around the house.
I don't believe in paying for chores. I think some of them need to be viewed as family contributions, the same way that mom cooking dinner or doing laundry is. However, I do buy my daughter treats and things if her behavior has been good. These are always unscheduled rewards. She's still young enough that allowance isn't an issue. When she's older I can give her extra jobs if she wants to earn spending money.
I think that children should be expected to help out around the house as being part of the family unit, and that they should receive an allowance also because they are part of the family and need to learn how to be responsible with money.
Kids should learn how to do skill-level chores without being bribed, but then get allowance for things according to the family budget to teach them about frugality and finances.
Ashley,
Thank you for your comment. I can understand being uptight in general- I am glad you relaxed. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my comment.
Being vegan is not difficult once you know what you like and you learn to cook some quick and easy stand-bys. Like every healthy diet, it requires some planning and preparation, but I get the impression you already do that anyways.
If you are interested in information about vegan nutrition and recipes, you can visit http://www.compassionatecooks.com/ - there is also a podcast that you can listen to, and you can find the link on the website.
Whatever you choose, I hope you are in good health and continue to be relaxed and happy.
I think that an allowance is a great way for kids to, not only learn the value of their work, but the value of money as well. Of course, I don't think that children should be paid at such a young age, that they grow up completely focused on money; and I also don't think anything more than $5-$15 a week is reasonable (depending on the types of chores, the age of the child, etc.) But if your child starts demanding "more, more, more!" and it becomes more about the money than about the quality of work, it might be time to reconsider. I work for Mango Money's blog and I have been thinking about writing about "children's finances" as a post-- when is too young for an allowance? A job? A bankcard? Also, this post about teaching your children the "financial ABCs" might help some of you parents out there: http://blog.mangomoney.com/blog/teach-your-kids-to-sing-the-financial-abcs
I liked my parents' method. We had a lot of chores to do, and the pay was minimal. To have no pay would mean the kids have to ask you for everything they want and aren't really learning the value of money and hard work. To pay too much is spoiling them. For my parents, we earned monthly our age in dollars. For instance, if you were 11 years old, you would get $11/month. Then you could buy your own magazines, candy, CDs, etc. ANYTHING we wanted (beyond essentials or holiday gifts), we had to buy with that money. Today, I'm very frugal as a result (not to the point I deprive myself) and have never been in debt.
Unfortunately, there are parents out there who just spoil their kids and don't even require them to do chores, or the chores are minimal. I think this is awful and is a huge reason for the "entitlement" society we now live in.
I have a very similar issue. I sell and buy things on ebay every week. I recently moved (prior to begin selling) and did everything I needed to do correctly. I placed a mail forward with USPS before moving out, I updated my addresses with my banks, employers, credit card companies, ebay AND paypal. I applied for the Paypal debit card (top save myself 3-5 days each time i wanted to access my paypal funds as cash) and an account limit was placed because a debit card I once had on there was no longer valid. It was no longer valid because I had lost it and had to order another one, and the address (the old address) on THAT card didn't match the NEW address I was requesting my card be sent to. So I call them and they ask me a ton of questions to verify my identity and my address. I even added a NEW credit card on my paypal account to update my address and clarify and remove the limitation. Once settled in to my new house, I begin making several ebay purchases (7) things for myself, my 18 mos old son, my husband etc. Days go by and I haven't received anything yet. I am pretty busy for a young mom. I work full time, Go to school online full time, support and care for my family, home, and my ebay side business of clearing out my closet. None of my packages have arrived. I check the tracking numbers, they have been delivered. I contact the seller, I contact USPS, I contact paypal, I contact ebay. Apparently, after SEVERAL requests to change my address, when sellers buy a shipping label, paypal provides them with the address of the card that DOES NOT WORK on my account and have asked for them to remove and they havent since. Claiming it has been done. Paypal says its MY fault for not checking the ship to address. okay, maybe it IS my fault- but when I print up 4-5 labels DAILY and my RETURN ADDRESS is my new address, WHY IN THE HELL would they ship to my old address? and If I had done everything I needed to do, why would I even think of double checking the little section only a few shades darker (a light gray) if my shipping address is correct? I had already made the request to change it several times online and over the phone. Now I'm out hundreds of dollars in merchandise, paypal refuses to take responsibility and in fact tried opening a case against a seller in my behalf to refund the money on an item not yet received. At this point, I've filed a police report for my "lost" packages, submitted a complaint to the California Attorney General's Office against paypal and have begun an investigation with USPS as to why they haven't FORWARDED my mail from the last address If I provided them with my CC# and the $1 fee it takes to make these changes online. So frustrated right now. Good lck wth your worms
I don't think kids should be paid for chores. Chores should foster personal and family responsibility, and the sense of a job well done. Having to tend to their own needs (within reason) teaches them that things don't come easily and that personal property should be taken care of.
As a rule, I don't think that children should be paid for doing routine chores. But for tasks beyond the norm, a reward could provide them with some extra money.
I don't think kids should be paid for their chores. Call me cynical, but I don't get paid for making my own bed or cleaning up the house, and I think encouraging the belief that these banal chores have any reward other than a neat bed and clean floor is misleading. However, kids should get some sort of weekly spending allowance to teach them money smarts, alongside extra money for the extra chores (maybe I can convince my kids that the annual gutter-cleaning is really fun when the bribe of an extra 10-spot makes its appearance!)
I have 4 teenagers, and they are all required to do chores on an as-needed basis. As in, I need this done, please do it. They aren't paid for chores, but their level of cooperation will definitely get more "yes" answers from me when they 1) want $$, 2) want to go out with friends, 3) want to do special things. If I get sullen stares and non-compliance when I ask them to do things, they get a "no" when they ask me.
Thanks for your comment. I should have been more clear. I didn't actually mean that being vegan is neurotic. I was referring more to how strict I was about all of my lifestyle choices at the time. Even when I was still a vegan, I had to learn to relax a little, so that I wasn't so stressed about making sure I was making the best choices for the environment and myself. It was not a negative experience at all. My choice to eat meat again was a tough one, but I don't regret my time as a vegan. Sorry that my word choice was confusing. Thanks again for pointing it out, and I hope this clarifies a bit. And kudos to you for sticking with it!
-Ashley
I never got paid for chores or got an allowance. I just had to do them. I think it depends on the kid and how the parents set up a responsibility and work/reward system.
We don't pay our 6-year old to do chores because we view it as simply being part of a family unit. My problem is that I struggle with actually asking her to do chores. I'm still in the mode where I do mostly everything myself, but I am working on correcting this both for my sanity and for her growth.
When our daughter is older, we will give her the opportunity to earn money for what we consider "extra" jobs.
"Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just hit a button and your ad from last week would shoot to the top of the page today? Well, sorry, that won’t happen. Craigslist has put measures in place to stop that. Mostly it’s to stop spam posters from engulfing the site."
Actually, Craigslist now has that exact button.
I think there are certain things kids should be responsible for regardless of whether they are paid, but they could get paid for additional work.
Our daughter has regular weekly chores that she is "required" to do and optional chores that she can make extra money by doing. The idea being that she gets an allowance based on doing her required chores and can augment that if she does extra. If her mom or dad end up doing any of her required chores, predetermined sums of money are deducted from her standard weekly allowance.
You should send this message over to Washington! Great post with excellent posts.
I'm a fan of Wise Bread on Facebook
In my family we didn't get an allowance, but then I don't remember a structured chore system either. We did get "hired" by a relative on occasion to clean my bachelor uncle's house. I like the idea of having chores that are not tied to money; but they can earn by doing extra things around the house.
I like you on FB.
I don't believe in paying for chores. I think some of them need to be viewed as family contributions, the same way that mom cooking dinner or doing laundry is. However, I do buy my daughter treats and things if her behavior has been good. These are always unscheduled rewards. She's still young enough that allowance isn't an issue. When she's older I can give her extra jobs if she wants to earn spending money.
I like Wise Bread on Facebook.
I think that children should be expected to help out around the house as being part of the family unit, and that they should receive an allowance also because they are part of the family and need to learn how to be responsible with money.
Kids should learn how to do skill-level chores without being bribed, but then get allowance for things according to the family budget to teach them about frugality and finances.
I like you on FaceBook.
pasta at trader joe's is 99 cents a package. love it!
Ashley,
Thank you for your comment. I can understand being uptight in general- I am glad you relaxed. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my comment.
Being vegan is not difficult once you know what you like and you learn to cook some quick and easy stand-bys. Like every healthy diet, it requires some planning and preparation, but I get the impression you already do that anyways.
If you are interested in information about vegan nutrition and recipes, you can visit http://www.compassionatecooks.com/ - there is also a podcast that you can listen to, and you can find the link on the website.
Whatever you choose, I hope you are in good health and continue to be relaxed and happy.
:) Layla.
I think that an allowance is a great way for kids to, not only learn the value of their work, but the value of money as well. Of course, I don't think that children should be paid at such a young age, that they grow up completely focused on money; and I also don't think anything more than $5-$15 a week is reasonable (depending on the types of chores, the age of the child, etc.) But if your child starts demanding "more, more, more!" and it becomes more about the money than about the quality of work, it might be time to reconsider. I work for Mango Money's blog and I have been thinking about writing about "children's finances" as a post-- when is too young for an allowance? A job? A bankcard? Also, this post about teaching your children the "financial ABCs" might help some of you parents out there: http://blog.mangomoney.com/blog/teach-your-kids-to-sing-the-financial-abcs
I liked my parents' method. We had a lot of chores to do, and the pay was minimal. To have no pay would mean the kids have to ask you for everything they want and aren't really learning the value of money and hard work. To pay too much is spoiling them. For my parents, we earned monthly our age in dollars. For instance, if you were 11 years old, you would get $11/month. Then you could buy your own magazines, candy, CDs, etc. ANYTHING we wanted (beyond essentials or holiday gifts), we had to buy with that money. Today, I'm very frugal as a result (not to the point I deprive myself) and have never been in debt.
Unfortunately, there are parents out there who just spoil their kids and don't even require them to do chores, or the chores are minimal. I think this is awful and is a huge reason for the "entitlement" society we now live in.
I have a very similar issue. I sell and buy things on ebay every week. I recently moved (prior to begin selling) and did everything I needed to do correctly. I placed a mail forward with USPS before moving out, I updated my addresses with my banks, employers, credit card companies, ebay AND paypal. I applied for the Paypal debit card (top save myself 3-5 days each time i wanted to access my paypal funds as cash) and an account limit was placed because a debit card I once had on there was no longer valid. It was no longer valid because I had lost it and had to order another one, and the address (the old address) on THAT card didn't match the NEW address I was requesting my card be sent to. So I call them and they ask me a ton of questions to verify my identity and my address. I even added a NEW credit card on my paypal account to update my address and clarify and remove the limitation. Once settled in to my new house, I begin making several ebay purchases (7) things for myself, my 18 mos old son, my husband etc. Days go by and I haven't received anything yet. I am pretty busy for a young mom. I work full time, Go to school online full time, support and care for my family, home, and my ebay side business of clearing out my closet. None of my packages have arrived. I check the tracking numbers, they have been delivered. I contact the seller, I contact USPS, I contact paypal, I contact ebay. Apparently, after SEVERAL requests to change my address, when sellers buy a shipping label, paypal provides them with the address of the card that DOES NOT WORK on my account and have asked for them to remove and they havent since. Claiming it has been done. Paypal says its MY fault for not checking the ship to address. okay, maybe it IS my fault- but when I print up 4-5 labels DAILY and my RETURN ADDRESS is my new address, WHY IN THE HELL would they ship to my old address? and If I had done everything I needed to do, why would I even think of double checking the little section only a few shades darker (a light gray) if my shipping address is correct? I had already made the request to change it several times online and over the phone. Now I'm out hundreds of dollars in merchandise, paypal refuses to take responsibility and in fact tried opening a case against a seller in my behalf to refund the money on an item not yet received. At this point, I've filed a police report for my "lost" packages, submitted a complaint to the California Attorney General's Office against paypal and have begun an investigation with USPS as to why they haven't FORWARDED my mail from the last address If I provided them with my CC# and the $1 fee it takes to make these changes online. So frustrated right now. Good lck wth your worms
I don't think kids should be paid for chores. Chores should foster personal and family responsibility, and the sense of a job well done. Having to tend to their own needs (within reason) teaches them that things don't come easily and that personal property should be taken care of.
As a rule, I don't think that children should be paid for doing routine chores. But for tasks beyond the norm, a reward could provide them with some extra money.
Kids should have their regular chores but be paid for extra chores.
I don't think kids should be paid for their chores. Call me cynical, but I don't get paid for making my own bed or cleaning up the house, and I think encouraging the belief that these banal chores have any reward other than a neat bed and clean floor is misleading. However, kids should get some sort of weekly spending allowance to teach them money smarts, alongside extra money for the extra chores (maybe I can convince my kids that the annual gutter-cleaning is really fun when the bribe of an extra 10-spot makes its appearance!)
I have 4 teenagers, and they are all required to do chores on an as-needed basis. As in, I need this done, please do it. They aren't paid for chores, but their level of cooperation will definitely get more "yes" answers from me when they 1) want $$, 2) want to go out with friends, 3) want to do special things. If I get sullen stares and non-compliance when I ask them to do things, they get a "no" when they ask me.
Am truly sorry for your inner pain.
Layla,
Thanks for your comment. I should have been more clear. I didn't actually mean that being vegan is neurotic. I was referring more to how strict I was about all of my lifestyle choices at the time. Even when I was still a vegan, I had to learn to relax a little, so that I wasn't so stressed about making sure I was making the best choices for the environment and myself. It was not a negative experience at all. My choice to eat meat again was a tough one, but I don't regret my time as a vegan. Sorry that my word choice was confusing. Thanks again for pointing it out, and I hope this clarifies a bit. And kudos to you for sticking with it!
-Ashley
I never got paid for chores or got an allowance. I just had to do them. I think it depends on the kid and how the parents set up a responsibility and work/reward system.