Pocket money help

[flergs]

My kids are wanting to earn pocket money. We've never physically given them money, just bought them stuff now and again.

So help me out! What types of chores do you give them and what payment for it? I need to print out a chart so we can keep track. They've always packed/unpacked the dishwasher, fed pets etc....

[jacinda]

I don't tie pocket money in to chores. I expect them to help out around the house because they're part of the family, and that's what families do. My girls (8 and 11) get $5 a week when I remember to get cash out. If however, they've mucked around a lot during the week, and have had to be constantly reminded to do things, then I might cut back their pocket money by a few dollars. Doesn't happen very often though.

[jak]

I started a new system in January which (amazingly) has worked so far... My boys need to do certain jobs each week and if they do they get $5 pocket money. I chose to 'pay' them so that I could teach them about earning and saving and spending (so far they haven't spent any of it though!!), as well as to get them to take more responsibility around home.

I don't make it too onerous otherwise it wouldn't work... some days things just won't happen because of other stuff going on. So, they need to make their beds at least three times a week, dry the dishes at least twice a week (we don't have a dishwasher), feed the cats at least twice a week, bring the bins on on garbage day, hang their towels each night after showers, tidy their toys + they need to do some 'extra jobs' at least three times a week (which could be make their beds more than the minimum three times/week, set the table... anything really).

We have a chart - days of the week across the top, jobs listed down the side - and we tick things off as we go. Sunday night I'll see if there are enough ticks on the chart and if so, they get their pocket money.

I also linked it to xbox time - they're usually allowed to turn the xbox on on Saturdays and Sundays after 3pm but if they haven't made their beds they can't start until 4pm. Needless to say, beds are always made on Saturday and Sunday mornings!!

[flergs]

We've never paid them for their regular chores. But they both want to earn "extra" so we thought we'd have some little jobs they could do extra to earn more. Daily they always make their beds, each feed an animal, one empties and one fills the dishwasher, and that's about it. They don't get paid for that, that's their job lol. My hubby and I never got pocket money growing up so it's foreign. I never had to even lift a finger, and I want the opposite from my kids. It didn't teach me anything but to be lazy as a child because Mum just did everything.

[fifilur]

My son (7yo) gets a small amount of money every weekend if he's picked up all his toys and tidied his room. Him having his own money has been a very good thing. Instead of me saying no when he asks for ten different things in a store I can say; sure you can buy it, with your money. I has tought him to value money and to think twice, if he really wants that perticular thing, before he spends his money and to save if he wants something more expensive.

He is of course also helping out with household chores, but apart from him feeding his bunny they aren't set in advance. He is just expected to help out with whatever needs doing.

[Neverland Scraps]

We don't give our children money, unless they earn it. While they do their daily chores and help around the house, it doesn't count for a job since it's something that everyone has to do in life without expectation of payment. Once we taught our children that concept, we worked on ways that they could earn money.

I know your children are older, but there is always dog-walking, cleaning up the neighbor's yard of animal waste (this is a HUGE money-maker), raking leaves, shoveling snow. Take for example, my oldest, who is very clean and organized, asked the neighbors if she could clean their baby/toddler rooms. She quickly got a few jobs lined up once word got out with how well she cleaned. Not only did she put everything away, but she put all the puzzles together, separated the blocks, etc.-she organized the rooms. One neighbor was impressed with how well she cleaned she gave her $50 for her work, instead of the agreed-upon $20 for the work.

Both of my children did odd/end jobs for the neighbors and myself that they both saved up enough money to buy a 32gb iPad Air with 4-year warranty. If you are in the market for an Apple, you know those suckers aren't cheap! My oldest was able to buy her ipad within 6 months of setting out to buy one and my middle was able to get hers within 8 months since she was limited on the higher-paying jobs, such as babysitting.

Another way they can earn money is by babysitting or co-babysitting (depending on age). Last year, my oldest was the neighborhood babysitter-everyone came to her each weekend. We did a neighborhood block party and all the neighbors pitched in to pay my daughter, the yard guard, for her babysitting services. In one night, she watched 19 children (of course the parents were in the next yard), but she earned over $200 for that night of playing with children--something she already loves to do! We have since moved to the country and there aren't any babies to babysit--it is killing my daughter and she can't wait until we move back on a military base where there will be more children and more babysitting jobs!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that not just Mom & Dad are the only people to give them money for work done. Other people don't mind paying children to do jobs, provided they are responsible enough to do said jobs. My parents often helped out and gave my children jobs to do that they would pay them, granted not as much as they should, but they did pay for them work done. I don't know, I guess we took the approach that if you want money, you have to work for it, because when you are older, no one is going to hand you money over without working for it. So perhaps we are using this as a teaching example of learning how to work for your money. I don't know, but it's something we have been doing for several years and seems to help with our girls earning money. Since we've started doing this instead of a weekly allowance, they have each bought an iPad, but have also put over $1,000 in to their savings, after they gave 10% of their earnings in tithe to our local church and kept 30% for spending.

You will find what works for you and your children. Sometimes it just takes trial and error. Good luck! I can't wait to see what you come up for your children to earn some pocket money!

[MamaBee]

My son doesn't get paid for doing chores, either... he will make money with a lemonade stand in the summer... and he will sometimes get something extra with a project that Daddy is doing. So far he is 8, and hasn't asked for any extra money.

As for a chart... *cough*

[DawnMarch]

chores for my son over the last couple years (he loves to earn extra money):

cleaning up the dog poop
cleaning windows
washing the dog
cleaning out the game closet or other storage areas (this is more like a deep cleaning/organization instead of just putting stuff away like normal)
wiping down outdoor furniture
washing and or vacuuming the car

Note that he doesn't do these chores to the same level of perfection that I would do them but I still think it's a useful learning process.

[glumirk]

We started giving our kids money YOUNG, but just a little. We are teaching them to save for the future and also to save up for things that they want. They don't have to do anything to get it, and it's great because when they ask for things I just say "Let's see how much it is so that you can save up for it" and they are happy. As they get older we will have special paid chores that are above and beyond what is expected for our family to function on a day-to-day basis.

[kristijoy]

My son does get a little amount of money each week, but really that's not what works for him. What's worked for him is bigger jobs to earn *more* money. These are on top of the regular daily household type tasks.

These special jobs have ranged from yard work & household maintenance to deep cleaning. When he has his eye on something more expensive he wants to purchase he will work extra hard to earn the money. We like this a lot because it gives him more exposure to different types of household tasks (that take time!) and gives him a way to realize that more effort, focus and good work is rewarded in kind.

[mshanhun]

I never saw my own pocket money- I got give. 20c a week for school banking in primary school and when I was 17 I got a job. Birthday money I very rarely spent and instead added it my my bank account.

I did get paid for babysitting the neighbours ($10/night) when I was a teenager.

I'm a natural saver and so I never worried about buying things. Times have changed now!!

Emily had started making bed and tidying her room often with help over the past few years.

We also have her doing some other thing like putting dishes away/setting table etc but we are thinking of working out some pocket money scheme soon.


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[adi&co.]

I have my kids do daily chores and then weekly chores and they get $1 a day monday-saturday. We have a chart that has pictures of chores and they switch every week. So between the two they: make their beds, clean up the living room, clean up the toy room, sweep the floors, clean up the outside toys, feed the dog/cat, and empty the dishwasher as daily chores. The weekly chores are done on Saturday and they're: watering the plants, mopping the floors, cleaning the sinks and toilets in the bathrooms, cleaning their bedroom, and bringing he laundry baskets upstairs if they're clean and downstairs if they're dirty.

Now days, if they want anything, they save up for it, period! I don't buy them any wants anymore. If they want it, they save up and buy it. It's really helping them to not beg for random things in the store. It's also helping them to learn to save and show patience with it as well. They have both saved up for $20 items (so it was like $22 with tax) and it was hard for both of them, but they were so excited when they finally made it! I think it's a great way to help them manage money later in life.

Also, I don't call it an allowance, I call it commission because they get paid based on how much they work! If they don't finish their chores that day, they don't get their full dollar.

[Valgal]

Consider reading this book. This is what we do.