Since posting our article on Kids and Money: What Allowances We Give and How We Teach Them To Handle It, it has created a discussion and raised questions on whether or not you should pay your kids to do chores.
There seems to be many thoughts and opinions out there on this topic. Before we share our thoughts, we wanted to gather yours!
There are basically 3 main sides to this issue of kids and money (and lots of ideas and opinions in how these are done too).
- Yes – because teaching them real world lessons and working responsibility by paying them for their chores will teach them about working to earn money so that they are in that working/earning mode when they leave home.
- Yes and no – perhaps getting paid for specialty or extra chores/projects, but not being paid to be a regular part of the family as they will not get paid as an adult to just do things to “live,” (e.g., making bed, picking up, cooking, taking out trash) and therefore not getting paid to do their regular chores.
- No – Not attaching allowances to the chores at all, but they just get allowances for an overall participation in the family life with good attitudes, meaning that they do chores and receive an allowance as a family member but not a one-to-one connection between chores and allowances.
So where do you and your family fall? Do you pay your kids to do their chores? Why or why not?
Photo Credit: gogulfwinds.com
Diane from Facebook
Nope – “chores” were always optional in our home – we felt our children would have years of responsibility and didn’t feel it should be mandated to children – we welcomed their participation in our household tasks – cooking, picking up, etc. and very often they did since they never felt it as a “chore”. We also accepted whatever way they did it even if it wasn’t how we might have done it and when they volunteered to do something it was usually on their schedule – I only do things when I want to do it and how I want to do it so why shouldn’t they? Once they were in middle school their rooms became their domain and how they kept it was totally up to them – one was a complete slob, the other not so much. We never entered their room without asking first and never criticized their living choices. We would much rather they spend time reading, being social, engaging in extra-circular activities, etc.
We gave a weekly allowance starting at age 5 – the purpose was to teach money management. They saved some, often donated (again not mandatory) and spent it at will – we did $1 per year each week.
I never did a single chore growing up (two kids in my family two working parents – lots of help from my maternal grandparents who lived next door) and neither did my husband (six kids in his family with two working parents – lots of help from his maternal grandmother who lived with them) and we certainly knew how to do what needed to be done when we became adults. Our children are now adults and doing just fine with the approach we took. My daughter has two sons – no chores – she gets lot of help from her mother (me).
Star from Facebook
No way! We all live in this house and I do not get paid for the work I am expected to do around the house. Everyone in the family needs to contribute to the smooth running of the household, even the children. Now for bigger “extra” jobs- maybe.
Leslie from Facebook
No. It is part of being in a family, to help out. But we do pay for ‘extra’ chores. We felt we needed to teach them responsibility and how the world works, as well as helping them live out a life of serving others. They have turned out to be very, very responsible and thoughtful adults. 🙂