Allowance

[ChayilWoman]

How much?
How often?
Should they do chores to earn it?
When do you start?

What are your thoughts about giving a child an allowance?

[makarioselpis]

Here's what we do/have done:

How much and how often? Currently $10/week or $40/month (we've done both)

Tied to chores: Absolutely...no one ever gave me "free" money. As parents we wanted to instill in them that if they want money to buy wants, they must work to earn said money We did make a distinction between family chores (those done for the good of the family because we love each other) and allowance chores (I always have a list of chores longer than my arm to be done and instead of negotiating the price for each one, we say do x number of chores and you'll get your allowance). It was always their choice whether they earned money or not and I couldn't be accused of being unfair. We started around age 5 or 6 and did $5/week and around age 10 we upped it to $10/week. We are in a stage of transition because the children (12 and 14) are starting to do odd jobs for other people who pay them and they end up earning more than their allowance most months. But I always maintain the list and they can earn extra if they choose to.

I think I answered all your questions...Good topic! :)

[wife]

How much?
How often?
Should they do chores to earn it?
When do you start?

What are your thoughts about giving a child an allowance?

$20
monthly
no--not really everyone helps around the house though.
they were 6 I believe and it hasn't always been $20.


Ahem.. I am probably going to be the odd one out but.... It is my responsibility to care for my kids until they are 18 (and over if God dictates). My kids allowance buys those things that most parents just fork over to their kids. My parents gave me an allowance. When I became a teen, this paid for clothes, eating out, music, entertainment, even shampoo and other personals. I like the way my parents did things and I will do it the same way with my kids. Now my kids have chores, but it isn't tied into their allowance because well, I don't get paid for doing chores around the house and neither should they. I want them to help out because it is expected and it is what you do, not because you get paid for it.

[chel0524]

We do 1.00 for each year of age and half has to go into savings. For example my 9 year old gets 9.00 a week and 4.50 she gets to do with what she wants, but the other 4.50 goes into her savings account. It is a very good way to set limits and teach them about saving.

It is also chore related. Each child has chores that they are responsible for during the week; keeping their rooms cleaned (which they have to pick up their floors each night before bed), cleaning kitty litter, feeding kitty and dog. They do more during the summer, but during the school year, we lighten it up a little as they have homework each night.

We started it at about 3 years of age. However, with our last child, who is just 2, she is very capable of doing some of the chores also; like feed the cat and help pick up toys. She also likes to "help" me with laundry. For right now, we just put all of her allowance in savings and will buy her something little if she wants it when we are at the store.

I think allowances are a great way to teach responsibility and budgeting. My oldest is a saver and she finds something she wants to buy and she gets to try to figue out how long she has to save her spending money to get it and what she can spend and still save for something big. It helps them learn budgeting by knowing how much they will be receiving in future of course, assuming they have done all their chores for the week.

We also sometimes will deduct money from their spending money for bad behaviour. It's a great incentive.

We tried tying specific dollar amounts to specific chores and it just didn't work for us. It was time consuming and was just a hassle.

[MidnightCry]

Wow, you guys -- I am, apparently, living in the dark ages. We got our allowance advice from James Dobson who suggested a monthly amount based on age. For example, our 9-year old gets $9 per month (we divide it on a weekly basis). Our 5-year old gets $5/month.

Chores -- our children are expected to do chores because they are part of the family (just like I do "chores" because I'm part of the family).

We give an allowance so that they can learn the value of working for something they want to buy (they learn a lot of values when saving up for a favorite item), as well as giving part to the Lord. If a child wants to buy a large item that would take a LONG time to save for, I will sometimes match their saving efforts. When my daughter was 7, she wanted a starter guitar. She saved for a few months to earn the $25 for her half and then I matched it.

[House of Light]

We give allowance....but not on a regular basis.

There are expected chores that everyone has to do....take care of bedrooms, their own laundry, and feeding the pets. Dishes, and each of the main rooms that they are in charge of. They do not get paid for these.

Chores that are beyond this...I will pay them for. .25 a row hoed in the garden....cleaning out the van, scrubbing floors and woodwork. I don't pay them alot...and they are allowed to use it for movies, or to save for something bigger.

[ChayilWoman]

Thanks for all the comments!

My DH and I are trying to figure this out for our 7 & 9 year olds. Our biggest difference is I've always thought they should have responsibilities that they earn the money whereas he doesn't agree with that. Even on my own side of it, I've also struggled with thinking they should be helping just because they are part of the family not because they want the money. For awhile now they have had certain chores to do each day and if those were done and they saw another job that needed to be done we would negotiate a price (usually .50 or 1.00) I liked this because it taught them to look for jobs that needed to be done.

But we both just read "Parenting with Love and Logic" and it recommends that the purpose of an allowance is to teach them money management and should be tied to specific chores. But they also add that if the child doesn't want to do their chores then they can pay you to do them for them. Which is a real life lesson-you either clean your own house or pay someone else to for you.

I like the $1.00/yr old idea...that's what I was already thinking of for an amount. But gosh that adds up!

My other hangup with giving an allowance is that DH and I never carry any cash so it would be a lot of hassle to get them cash, esp. in odd amounts every week. We're looking at a Visa Buxx card, which is like a debit card that parents can put money on. Does anyone use this? I studied their website (http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_buxx.html) and couldn't find any fees listed, but I can't imagine their aren't any.

[tygerkittn]

I have two or three boxes in the basement with little toys from oriental.com, the dollar store, and clearance from Target. I pay them "family money" sometimes if I feel one has done more than the others, or if they excel in their home school work, or for certain chores, and they can go in the basement and "spend" their money on a toy. That way it's something I've picked out and approve of, and it's instant gratification, very good motivator! I also let them each pick out Christmas presents for each other from the boxes. I don't have to take them to the store to spend their money, and I don't end up owing them money when I don't have it.

[chel0524]

Thanks for all the comments!

My DH and I are trying to figure this out for our 7 & 9 year olds. Our biggest difference is I've always thought they should have responsibilities that they earn the money whereas he doesn't agree with that. Even on my own side of it, I've also struggled with thinking they should be helping just because they are part of the family not because they want the money. For awhile now they have had certain chores to do each day and if those were done and they saw another job that needed to be done we would negotiate a price (usually .50 or 1.00) I liked this because it taught them to look for jobs that needed to be done.

But we both just read "Parenting with Love and Logic" and it recommends that the purpose of an allowance is to teach them money management and should be tied to specific chores. But they also add that if the child doesn't want to do their chores then they can pay you to do them for them. Which is a real life lesson-you either clean your own house or pay someone else to for you.

I like the $1.00/yr old idea...that's what I was already thinking of for an amount. But gosh that adds up!

My other hangup with giving an allowance is that DH and I never carry any cash so it would be a lot of hassle to get them cash, esp. in odd amounts every week. We're looking at a Visa Buxx card, which is like a debit card that parents can put money on. Does anyone use this? I studied their website (http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_buxx.html) and couldn't find any fees listed, but I can't imagine their aren't any.



Yes, it is a hassle coming up with all the dollars for the allowance. But, I think it's good money management skills for them rather than a card.

Your're right, it does add up! But, if you do it like we do and have them put half in their savings account, it adds up in a good way!

We've found this works great for our kids who are 8, 7 and 2.

[ChayilWoman]

Yes, it is a hassle coming up with all the dollars for the allowance. But, I think it's good money management skills for them rather than a card.


This may be the wrong board for this because I'm not wanting to start any MOB discussions, but we are quickly becoming a cashless society. How much more so will it be by the time they grow up (if we're still here by then?) That said, as a homeschooling mom and having worked in a bank for several years, I definitely see the importance of teaching them to count money, figure change, etc.