There are many reasons why youngsters should be given some sort of compensation for helping out around the house.
As children grow, they mature and better understand all you do as a mother and father to keep the house humming along—be it vacuuming, dusting, doing dishes, making beds, cleaning the bathroom, mowing the lawn, raking leaves or feeding the dog. Each of these activities are chores kids can also do themselves.
Begin by simply having children help you as you go about the routine of life. Then, as they become accustomed to the chore, explain to them that you will give them the opportunity to complete the task by themselves and, if they do it correctly, you will give them a small allowance. This teaches kids about the concept of work.
Of course, young children shouldn’t have to hold down a job of any kind. Their work is to learn how to behave appropriately and do their schoolwork. But the reality is that the way the world works is by people doing jobs and getting paid for them. It might not always be monetarily, but you get something in return, even if it is just the satisfaction of seeing a clean house.
With that in mind, consider how paying kids a few dollars for completing their chores can teach them both about the concept of work and how things in the house aren’t just paid for by magic. Someone has to work to earn the money to pay for them. So, giving kids a few bucks every week or month for consistently doing their chores is great preparation for adulthood and will get them in the habit of doing their chores on a regular basis.
Be careful to explain exactly what they will be paid for. That way, when you ask them to help you with the garden or watch their younger sibling, they won’t ask how much they’ll be paid for it!
As children acquire money on a regular basis for contributing to the household workload, they begin to see it add up, which gives them a sense of accomplishment. Be sure to select a special jar or box for them to collect their money, so they have a daily visual of their progress.
Keeping their progress and goals in mind will drive kids to finish all their chores in enough time to go out and spend that $10 at the movies with friends or save up enough money for that new pair of shoes they’ve had their eye on. Adding a little monetary incentive can teach kids that if they work hard, they can achieve goals. It will take a while, but your children will learn the value of a dollar. And once they’ve acquired enough to buy the shiny new video game or tennis shoes they want, they might even change their minds and decide to keep the money for something more important instead. They did, after all, work hard for it.
Another reality is that moody teenagers or elementary-aged children who never seem to listen will often respond to money, and it will make it easier to get them to actually do the chores. Instead of nagging, just explain they either do the chores or they don’t get paid.
We don’t want our kids to think we’re unreasonably putting them to work when they are busy enough as it is with school. Chores are jobs. You can explain to them that you, as parents, do lots of household chores as well—but you don’t get paid for them! Another approach is simply tasking kids with chores and eliminating money from the equation. This tactic lets kids see that everyone contributes equally to the household. It’s not a job, but just something that must be done.
There are different schools of thought as to what type of an allowance is appropriate, but regardless of what kind of system you use to funnel money to your kids, the most important component is to have frequent discussions about how they manage their money. It’s easy to get caught up in the bustle of our daily lives and forget the long-term consequences of our actions or inaction. As parents, our primary job is to prepare our children to successfully handle life in the world by teaching them crucial skills—and money management is certainly one of them.
Creative ways for your kiddos to earn money:
Chores you have around the house are plentiful, and you can pay your children to load the dishwasher, make their bed, feed and walk the dog, clean the windows, fold the clothes out of the dryer and put them away, dust, pull weeds in the garden, vacuum, take out the trash, wash the car, water the flowers or help you make macaroni and cheese! As they get a little older, encourage them to offer to mow the neighbor’s grass or shovel snow. And whether the recipient pays them homemade cookies, lemonade or money, teach them to show gratitude.
An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.
Sources: Moms.com, MoneyCrashers.com