S/O: How do your kids get any money, or do they get none?

[DawnM]

I posted about paying my oldest to babysit and got a lot of responses that not only would the parents expect that to just be a job done for free, but that there is no such thing as allowance or paying children to do jobs.

 

So, how do they get any money or do they get none? My kids get $25 for their birthday and no money for Christmas, so that would mean they get $25 per year total.

 

Just curious. (and ducking because I am sure the attacks will be coming!)

 

Dawn

[Meriwether]

My kids are fairly young yet, but everyone helps at home. My older kids will take the baby outside to play. They help around the house. If they want something and it is reasonable, I buy it. If they want something I don't want to buy, they use their own money. They get money from grandparents occasionally. Sometimes I give them money for something. It isn't structured at our house.

[TammyinTN]

We only have one left at home and he's 13. We give him $20 every 15 days. He will usually save most of it and buy something big. He also spends money on cards to send to his sisters and baby toys for his new niece. He is always helping me with stuff around the house and does his chores without being ask.

[gingersmom]

My daughter is at the age where she wants lots of stuff. She is volunteering at a local library this summer and I am paying her. I am also paying her to take brother to town pool. She uses the money for savings and to buy stuff she would like that I don't want to pay for.

[In The Great White North]

DC never got an allowance. They did start lifeguarding at 15, which provided an income and did occasional babysitting (for others) before that.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My children, in theory, get an allowance that is not tied to chores. (I said in theory because they have to ask for it, and they rarely do.) They are expected to do chores because they live here and that is what we do. My kids do get birthday money. Also, they can work cutting grass, shoveling show, babysitting - but not for our family. I do pay my kids for helping me with my business - sometimes it is in cash and sometimes it is in books. If we have a special job around the house that we need help with that I would pay someone else to do, I might pay my kids to help with it. For example, my teen boys helped paint the house. They did get some small payment.

[Tarreymere]

I don't pay my kids for doing anything to help out within our immediate family, including babysitting. My adult children who are grown and have their own families sometimes hire their younger siblings to babysit or to help out with tasks and they do pay the younger ones in cash.

 

My children who live at home do run errands and do chores for some of our elderly neighbors but I do not allow them to accept cash (we live in a trailer park and no one here has extra cash). Instead, they get cool drinks, cookies, and chocolate.

 

My husband's father is our only older living relative who has not lapsed into senility or death, and he always sends the kids a little cash on their birthdays.

 

My kids have come up with a number of creative ways to earn cash over the years. At one point they collectively held four newspaper routes and worked together to do them. One developed a simple database for a local team and did the data entry and maintainence for the database and printed out customized reports at the customer's request. One baked specialty cakes for birthdays and other special days. One was selling handmade knitted and crochet things, another sewed simple baby things and sold them for a little while.

 

They like to find out the locations of road crews or other outside workers and sell cold drinks. One just recently made some parts of some kind for a local business, something to do with metal working. A couple have been paid for singing or playing instruments at events.

 

They are always coming up with brilliant schemes for making money, some of which I had to veto like any plans to breed things (puppies, fish, canaries) or the one to grow tilapia in the old kiddie pool to sell to local restaurants. And the bees, I just don't think we could get away with bee-keeping in the trailer park. I think there is some current scheme afoot that deals with making ethanol out of rotten fruit and selling it somewhere, but that could just be speculation on their part.

[Melissa B]

My kids get between $50-$100 per year as Christmas and birthday gifts from various relatives. (We also purchase baby teeth for $1 per tooth.) They now have bunches of money floating around their rooms. They don't really have anything to spend it on, so it just grows over the years. We did open them each a savings account earlier this year so now they can keep better track of their money.

 

My dh has also been known to give money every now and then when he needs something done he wouldn't normally ask the kids to do. If he loses his keys or the TV remote he will give the child that finds that item $1. This happens once every couple of months. :D He recently paid the older girls $5 each to deep clean his truck so he could post it for sale. But we don't often pay the children for anything. Honestly, they aren't interested in the money. At 15, they can look for part time jobs if they really want more money.

[Karen in CO]

My dc get a set amount of money each month on the first of the month when I get paid. They are free to use or save that money as they please. The flip side of this is that I don't buy them toys, treats or junk food. They use their own money for that. One child lives paycheck to paycheck, but she's still young. The other has saved a considerable amount of money. The oldest is on a different plan.

 

I do pay my dc on days when they must babysit each other such as when I am super busy or I leave them in charge while their dad is working from home and I'm in the office. If I come home and get a good report from dh and each girl says her sister was "good", then they get paid. It is either all or nothing.

 

I don't pay my ds for watching his sisters during the summer, but we've discussed it. It is covered under the grand sum that he gets to pay for rent and food while he's in school.

 

Everyone helps out and does work as needed. If something comes up and our family budget will be short for a given month, their allowance gets cut out or reduced. I think that's good for them because their fortunes are tied to ours. Even though their allowance wouldn't be a huge problem, it helps them to understand family economics.

[ChristusG]

My kids get $5 per week. .50 cents goes into savings. And .50 cents goes towards offering at church. So they are left with $4 spending money per week.

 

This money is not tied to any chores, etc. Chores are something that they are expected to do because they live in this house and are a part of this family.

 

If I have other jobs besides their regular chores, I might pay them a little something for it. My 7 year old washes the baseboards when I need to and I usually pay her $5.

 

Giving them spending money teaches them to save for something, and it also curbs the "I wants" when we go into a store.

[Miss Peregrine]

Starting at 13 they get $20. They need to buy their own toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo(if they don't like what I buy), and birthday presents for friends. Other than the presents, this is only a couple dollars a month since those items last for awhile.

 

The rest is for whatever they want. The point is I would be spending that money on them but now they can learn to budget. As the amount increases, so will the number of items they are responsible for.

[Night Elf]

We give an allowance that isn't tied to chores. DH and I believe that the children deserve some spending money just like I do. I don't work outside the home and I definitely don't consider spending money from my DH's paycheck to be compensation for housework. The children are a natural extension of the family and don't deserve less.

 

I hate having to put disclaimers. The way that DH and I think has absolutely NO bearing on the way other families think. My way is NOT superior NOR should it be interpreted that I'm saying everyone should handle their finances in the same way as us.

[JennyD]

My 6yo gets a weekly allowance, not tied to chores. I've been giving it to him since he was about 4.5. It has been an excellent learning tool.

[ondreeuh]

I give my kids the basic clothes (shoes, jeans, shirts, coats) and they get toys and games for birthday and Christmas. They each have responsibilities at home that are not specifically rewarded (DD does dishes and cleans the chicken coop, ds clears the table and feeds the dogs). When dd babysits so we can go out to dinner, we usually pay her with a little bit of cash or a dessert from the restaurant.

 

My kids get a small allowance direct-deposited into their savings accounts. They can then pull money from their accounts to buy toys, games, or clothes that are extras. DD pays for her prepaid phone and occasionally buys clothes, and ds bought nothing for over a year and just bought a Wii with his money. They are both VERY frugal and not materialistic.

 

The amount we pay each week ($15 for dd, $5 for ds) is a very good investment, as far as I'm concerned. It's taught the kids to manage their money and they never hit me up for things in the store.

[Shellydon]

All of my children get an allowance. 10% goes into a savings jar, 10% gets tithed, the rest is theirs to do as they please. They also usually get a little cash for birthdays.

[kwickimom]

My kids get allowance and it is tied to chores, but not all chores. Basics such as caring for animals and grooming and picking up their rooms are unpaid and they must do these first. Then they have the chance to earn paid chores. They must do all their chores to get ther allowance and we do pay for some bonus jobs (such as scrubbing baseboards but only once a month)

 

I feel this teaches them to be responsible with money and shows them how future jobs will be...you do the work and you get paid. You dont work and you dont get paid. They are required to tithe and save (25% each) and then they have 50% to spend.

 

We are also allowing our dd to raise a fawn all by herself and she will be receiving half of the sale money (she doesnt know this yeat...she thinks she is doing it for fun and we will show her the reward because she is doing AMAZING with this). My kids get about $50 a piece for Christmas from various relatives. Mostly that goes straight into their long term saving account, but now that my dd is turning 9 and she wants to buy more things we may let her split it the 25-25-50 way like her allowance :)

[5LittleMonkeys]

My dc can earn money for doing a chore from a list that I created and assigned a monetary value to. These are chores above and beyond their normal household responsibilities, which includes babysitting, that they do not get paid for.

 

The list of $ chores includes things like completely emptying the fridges, washing all the shelves and drawers and then putting everything back...washing all of the ceiling fans...touching up the paint on the baseboards and window\door trim...wiping out all the cabinets\drawers in the kitchen...giving the garage a good cleaning... These are things that don't need to be done more than once a month, or once every two months and they get paid pretty well to do them. If they want something that is pretty expensive and something that I feel warrants more work than their typical chores then this is how they get the money for it. If no one wants to do one of these things when it gets time for it to be done then I do it and then reward myself by having lunch out with a friend.;)

 

Maintaining household responsibilities don't go without rewards though. If my dc have been consistent in their chores and helpful with things like watching younger siblings then I will buy them things within reason. They really don't ask for a lot though; mostly art supplies that are outside of the norm, movies, console or pc games, and items to support their hobbies. I would say that we sometimes go for a couple months without anyone asking for something to be purchased for them.

 

Thankfully, my dc aren't big on "stuff". I think the last time anyone wanted to do a $ chore was about 3 or 4 months ago.

[UnsinkableKristen]

Our big kids (who are still quite small) get 1.00 a week, on Sundays. That is just for spending money, not for chores. They do chores because they are part of the family. If they want to earn extra money, they do extra things like bigger yard work help, bigger chores, etc.

 

 

Every Sunday DH gives them their dollar and they talk about how much to tithe off of what "extra" money they earned that week. DH is very, very good about reinforcing each week what tithing is and why we do it and how much to give. He reminds them to tithe off of money they have earned and shows them where in their wallets to set it aside for service that morning.

 

*Side Note* I'm actually really, really proud of DH for doing this. It was all his idea, he implements every step, and is very consistent. It's a wonderful thing to watch.

 

As they get older, we will probably change amounts/expectations, but for now it's working very well for us.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I believe in a weekly allowance, not tied to chores. Part of being part of the family is getting a bit of money. Also, I believe it is a good learning experience regarding money. Age kinda depends. My current 3yo would be clueless even after 6 months of weekly allowances. It's just where he is developmentally. The 4yr old is more than capable of getting it though (not to say he won't make mistakes. Don't we all?).

 

Additional chores are sometimes paid for even though those are also part of being part of the family. And then there are jobs I'd pay someone else for. I'd rather pay my kid than a stranger as long as the job will be done adequately.

 

Anyway, then when kids are older, they get a amount that can cover their needs. My daughter got a little extra because she had special dietary needs (she's gluten free). They learn to be more discerning about buying various items (clothing, personal care products, etc) that way.

 

AND they, as teens, are responsible for paying for things that are part of another responsibility. My daughter needs to put gas in the car if she's running to the next town and back with her friends. They need to pay the amount not covered by insurance for a cavity (only an issue once as I'm sure you can imagine).

 

Anyway, my hubby and I have THE hardest time with money though we come from different socioeconomic backgrounds; and it was just important to us that our children learn better.

 

ETA: I wanted to say that we generally do 1/2 their age for the amount. So a 6yo gets $3. However, at times, they may get a lump sum like we do (like tax refund) or just because (going to the zoo and want to give them each $X).

Edited June 8, 2011 by 2J5M9K

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We give an allowance that isn't tied to chores. DH and I believe that the children deserve some spending money just like I do. I don't work outside the home and I definitely don't consider spending money from my DH's paycheck to be compensation for housework. The children are a natural extension of the family and don't deserve less.

 

 

 

This is our approach. And we explained it as such to the kids. They get a portion of family money because they are part of the family. I have authority to spend family money without asking dh for permission (He calls me the house despot. I'm talking about things for the household functions, not buying a new set of furniture or a new computer or car without discussing it.)

 

By the same token, when I worked, that money was our money, not my money.

 

The kids do chores because they are part of the family. They don't get to opt out by forgoing a portion of their allowance.

[Pretty in Pink]

A few months ago we started giving the boys allowance each week. They start the week on Sunday with a pre-set amount of money (5.00 for ds12 and 2.50 each for the 7 and 5 yos). Throughout the week they can earn extra or loose money depending upon their behavior and such.

[kamom]

My kids get allowance and it is tied to chores, but not all chores.

 

I feel this teaches them to be responsible with money and shows them how future jobs will be...you do the work and you get paid. You dont work and you dont get paid. They are required to tithe and save (25% each) and then they have 50% to spend.

 

:)

 

We do something like this too. DH gave them both 'extra' jobs, doing these with a good attitude is how they get their 'allowance'.But it's not all spending money.

[BMW]

We've tried different things over the years and are now at a new phase! (Cheers, balloons fly to the sky, confetti drops from above)

 

We have been paying for sitters still... because the boys don't always get along with each other and obey the rules... We are presently offering the boys financial incentives to perform chores and follow the rules while I leave for periods of time. The idea is that I will not pay a sitter as often and they will start to own their behavior.

 

The boys have had opportunities to earn money working for neighbors or doing above and beyond basic household tasks.

[elegantlion]

We do a salary, tied to chores. As others have said, it's not tied to all chores, just specific ones.

 

Our main reasoning is not to pay him to be a helpful member of the household, but to learn money management skills. We've been doing this since he was about two, yes two. At that age he would help me unload the dishwasher (as in, "hand mommy that dish"). Dh and I both had horrid money management skills as young adults. I firmly believe it takes years to work on these skills. Overcoming temptation to spend it all, buyer's remorse, learning to save etc.

 

At 13 my ds has great money skills. He learned how to buy trading cards (like Magic and Pokemon) and then sell the ones he didn't want back to the card store for credit or cash. He traded in two gaming systems to get his Xbox. He understands the value of things, he takes care of his stuff, and he understands about prioritizing your wants.

 

He's old enough now to help dh from time to time. If he didn't have that outlet, he'd find some way to make money I'm sure.

 

He's supposed to help my parents out one day a week this summer. They plan on paying him a little, which I don't think is necessary, but they want to.

[Donna]

When they are not fundraising for trips to Ireland, my kids occasionally play "gigs" and make a bit of money. I put 90% of whatever they make in the bank and they get 10% for themselves to use toward whatever they want. Sometimes it is parts for bikes or clothing I won't buy them. Sometimes they will save up for something larger. From April through August they raise enough to "pay" their way to Ireland for their music competitions and if there's anything extra it goes in their bank accounts.

 

My husband gives the boys a little every week not tied to chores that they can either use to buy lunch at school or save (and I make them lunch...always an option) to do what they want with. Sometimes we will offer to pay someone to do something extra...above and beyond normal chores like washing my car or doing more than their share of the mowing, etc...

[Murphy101]

My kids get a bit of money at chirstmas.

 

All else, they have to work their bum off with outside odd jobs to get.

 

Mowing other people's yard, helping someone move, whatever.

 

And really they don't need money much. We make sure all their needs and a few of their major wants are provided for.

 

The older kids are the ones that want to work for it to get other stuff or just to feel more independent.

[historically accurate]

Starting at age 7, we give $10/2 times a month. $1 must be saved (bank account), $1 must be put to charity (usually church), and $1 to the spending envelope. She gets to decide what to do with the other $7. It's not tied to chores. So far, most of it goes into her "Felicity fund" -- clothes for her American Girl doll.

[The Girls' Mom]

Mine get money on their birthdays or at Christmas. Occasionally there will be a job (like a big yard work job) that they can earn a little money from.

 

We provide for all their needs and sometimes their wants. If they are going somewhere with friends, I usually give them a little spending money. They really have no need for their own money. They have learned that they don't have to have new things very often, and to wait when there is something they really want.

 

Yes, they do complain about not having their own money. To which I reply: get a job...:D.

[hsbaby]

We don't do allowance.

[The Girls' Mom]

Starting at 13 they get $20. They need to buy their own toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo(if they don't like what I buy), and birthday presents for friends. Other than the presents, this is only a couple dollars a month since those items last for awhile.

 

The rest is for whatever they want. The point is I would be spending that money on them but now they can learn to budget. As the amount increases, so will the number of items they are responsible for.

 

 

I do like this idea....even though we don't do allowances.....hmmm.

[Mrs Mungo]

My kids get allowance, it is stair-stepped according to age and level of responsibility in the home. If you want to discuss a raise in your allowance, then you had better be prepared to tell us how you are going to increase your level of responsibility.

 

Youngest currently gets $5/week

Middle gets $10/week

Eldest gets $20/week, plus we pay for her phone.

 

Allowance cuts down on a lot of "will you buy me..." questions.

[Sukale]

I don't give the 3 yr old anything. I pay my 12 yr old daughter by the job. Cleaning her room = nothing. Cleaning her sister's room $5. Cleaning out and washing the van $10. Asking her to do the dishes once in a while=nothing. Cleaning the base boards and ceiling fans $20. We also agree on the price before she starts working.

[JustGin]

Well mine are 13, 14 and 15 (almost 16). At this age and especially because of our limited finances, if they want anything beyond basic necessities, they have to find a way to earn the $. That's just our life right now and I'm not seeing it as such a bad thing.

 

DD 15 is a worker! She has found paying work in one way or another since age 12. This summer she has her first actual pay-check job as a lifeguard, but she has babysat, picked berries, hosted and waited tables at the restaurant and runs our coffee shop as needed. She also likes to contract for big jobs around home when we have the money to pay her. She paid for a year of cello lessons herself when she was 14 and she's paying for her own voice lessons now.

 

DD 14 helps at our coffee shop when she can. She worked for the our town's youth work program last summer and did well, she has pet sat, and when she's of a mind too and I'm able she is a good weeder.

 

DS 13 Holds signs for our shop and has had some lawn mowing work, but he is our most difficult one to get working.

 

ETA: Though we don't pay allowance and we do expect help with chores, the agreement is that transportation cost are on me as long as they are helping around the house. Not helping with chores results in paying the driver (me) for trips not on the drivers agenda. ;)

 

The only thing that is not a basic need that we pay for at this point is ds's piano lessons. He and I are working on a plan to have him begin to pay for half of that cost this fall, and my goal is for him to pay for all of his music lessons in high school if he wishes to continue.

Edited June 8, 2011 by JustGin

[justamouse]

my kids get monetary gifts for holidays, they earn $ by doing chores above and beyond my expectations. My 16 absolutely sits for free, and I buy her what she wants within reason.

[TheAutumnOak]

We give an allowance that isn't tied to chores. DH and I believe that the children deserve some spending money just like I do. I don't work outside the home and I definitely don't consider spending money from my DH's paycheck to be compensation for housework. The children are a natural extension of the family and don't deserve less.

 

 

:iagree:

[justamouse]

Starting at 13 they get $20. They need to buy their own toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo(if they don't like what I buy), and birthday presents for friends. Other than the presents, this is only a couple dollars a month since those items last for awhile.

 

The rest is for whatever they want. The point is I would be spending that money on them but now they can learn to budget. As the amount increases, so will the number of items they are responsible for.

 

That's a great idea. Though my kids are natural savers. My Dd 16 -man, that girl doesn't part with $. She gets that from her Dad, not me. It's the financially gifted gene. :D But I think I'll do that anyway.

[TheAutumnOak]

I don't give the 3 yr old anything. I pay my 12 yr old daughter by the job. Cleaning her room = nothing. Cleaning her sister's room $5. Cleaning out and washing the van $10. Asking her to do the dishes once in a while=nothing. Cleaning the base boards and ceiling fans $20. We also agree on the price before she starts working.

 

:lol:

[TheAutumnOak]

This is our approach. And we explained it as such to the kids. They get a portion of family money because they are part of the family. I have authority to spend family money without asking dh for permission (He calls me the house despot. I'm talking about things for the household functions, not buying a new set of furniture or a new computer or car without discussing it.)

 

By the same token, when I worked, that money was our money, not my money.

 

The kids do chores because they are part of the family. They don't get to opt out by forgoing a portion of their allowance.

 

:iagree:

[chaik76]

We used to do allowance, but no longer do. My kids get money for birthdays and Christmas, for doing extra chores around the house, etc.

 

My oldest earns about $20-40/mo doing chores and gets between $50-100 from various relatives for each holiday.

 

Allowance didn't work for us because my oldest became obsessed with trying to figure out it would take to save money for the stuff he wanted.

 

My husband and I both get spending money...he works outside the home, I work inside the home. My kids also work around the house, so I figure they should get the benefits of that as well.

 

I received allowance as a child, my husband did not. Having the kids earn money for doing extra chores has worked really well for both of us.

[Tammyla]

They rake it in on birthdays, receive an allowance and can always do chores.

[Mommy22alyns]

My grandma and aunt send the girls money for their birthdays. Sometimes they get $15 or so for Easter & Christmas. They would ordinarily be earning allowance, but DH is unemployed. :tongue_smilie:

[Tutor]

14yog: babysitting, selling cookies at the farmer's market, extra chores around the house

 

13yog: babysitting, pet sitting, selling bird feeders at the farmer's market, extra chores around the house

 

10yob: extra chores around the house, helping sell items at the farmer's market (he's working on a granola recipe so he can hog the profits :D )

 

7yob: extra chores around the house, helping sell items at the farmer's market

 

 

Our girls usually babysit their brothers for free, but we will pay them occasionally if we've called on them to babysit a lot. They also babysit for others for free often just as a favor. (It is important for us to teach our kids that finding paying work is wonderful, but doing something for no material gain is just as important.) A friend and I each have a table at the local farmer's market and the market was kind enough to give us slightly larger spots so that our kids can share a table between us. The children are responsible for making and selling their own items. The younger ones who don't have their own items to sell will often be hired by us or their older siblings to help them and are paid for that.

[*Lulu*]

I haven't read all the responses, but our children do receive money each week. They put aside 10% for giving, 20% for savings, and the rest is for spending. We only buy toys, etc. for special occasions, so they are expected to use their own money if they want something.

 

We look at it this way, by giving them a little money now we are giving them an opportunity to learn about money management, responsibility, delayed gratification, as well as providing some practical application practice for math skills. The money isn't directly tied to chores, there are things they are expected to do around here because they live here and are part of this family. However, if they do not take care of their responsibilities I can/will fine them. We also pay extra for jobs that are above and beyond.