[crick]

For those of you who do allowance or do pay for certain chores, what do you pay for and how much?

I tried once, failed, said "never again" and here I am!

I have 7-11 years old and we do need an allowance set up of some kind, just not sure how to go about it. They have chores they do because we as a family do them and that's part of life. I don't pay for those. Beyond the normal chores though, I can see paying, but how much?

So what what do y'all do and how does it work for you?

[mrsdatabits]

My DD isn't old enough yet to even worry about this, but I thought I'd chime in on what I'm thinking of doing when she is old enough. I plan that there are certain things she has to do just because she lives in the house and its part of life, etc., but I'm also thinking of having a "fee schedual" for any extra chores/jobs that she can choose to do for money. As an example... keeping her toys orderly/out of everyone elses way would be something that she has to do just because its part of life, but then say she feeds the cats she might earn 50 cents. Whatever the extra chores/jobs are, I'd have them written out so that she would know if she does xyz she'll get so much.

Good luck!

[arkansas parent]

Our 12yr old gets $5 a week for unloading the dishwasher everyday and helping cook a few times a week.
Our 5yr old gets $2 a week.
I do not pay every week. I keep a log of what I owe them and when they have enough saved for something I give them the money.

[qs mom]

I'm kind of in the same place. Q has chores that he has to do, it's part of being a family. He didn't really care for that explaination, but when I pointed out all the things I do without getting paid, he was ok with it.

He walks the dog. Feeds the dog. He helps to bring his laundry to the basement.

But he has no understanding of money and value. He just wants everything - of course. So I'd like to give him an allowance of some sort, but he needs to earn it, like I earn my paycheck. I don't know what to do to make him earn it.

Homework, behaviour and helping out at home are not jobs, they are expected and should be done. Disciplined if not done - not rewarded for doing what should be done.

[paparent]

I have a 13 year old and I give him 15 dollars a week. That sounds like alot after reading the other entries but he is a huge help. He recieves the money on sunday and monday morning he deposits half in his savings account. The remainder he uses to by extra food at lunch, toys or candy. He works really pretty for that. His behaviors also factors into that.

[Howdy]

My daughter is 11 yrs old and she has to have her regular family chores and personal chores done before she can do any money-making chores. She gets five dollars a week for allowance with no strings attached (except she might be 'fined' some of it, for example if she begs to rent a movie from Redbox on a Sunday - when it is difficult to get back to return it once the work-week starts - then I'll pay the first night and she loses a dollar a night from her allowance until it is returned).

For chores I don't pay a lot, she gets a dollar and a half for each wheelbarrow of manure raked up and dumped in the big pile. (She used to get $2.50 when she was little because she could only do a few.) My mother made the mistake once of offering her a nickel per pine cone to pick them up and 1600 pine cones later that deal was cancelled never to be repeated! ha!

I try to offer just enough to motivate her to do the extra work. I'll pay 50 cents to have a load of my laundry taken out of the dryer and folded, but only 25 cents to put a load of my clothes in the washer or to move them from the washer to the dryer.

My mother overpays for everything, she pays a dollar per kitty litter box (the barn cats have 3 boxes). Also my mom will pay ahead (loan the money on a promise of doing the work), but I only pay for work that is done.

I've offered my daughter a hundred and fifty dollars if she paints the barn after school lets out. I am hoping she will do it! But she doesn't get any money for climbing up the ladder and cleaning out the gutters because that is a family chore (my mom and I hover on the ground providing moral support).