Carrie12345 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 My 14yo threw her phone in the wash with her sheets the other day, and it's toast. We will be getting her a new phone, but I want her to work it off. Unfortunately, I'm really struggling to come up with ideas for how to do that! She already shares dish washing (well, loading) duty with her sister. They mostly take care of the dog together. She cooks when asked, and sometimes volunteers to do so. She helps with laundry (see above!) We kind of rotate who washes the floor, who cleans the bathroom, etc.. Watching siblings while I run errands is already considered a family duty. If we were having a date night, that would be pay-worthy, but we've got nothing on the calendar! I just cleaned my car myself the other day, so that isn't even needed. All I've got so far is mowing the lawn. Which is good, but I don't feel like that's going to cut it. (Har har.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 (edited) Ds9 sanded and painted some wooden patio support poles for me. Can she get work outside the family? Dd was doing mother's helper work by then (by 14yrs I mean). She would take a bag of books and games (often water balloons in summer), and entertain the kids while the mother got on with whatever she needed to do. She had a low rate when she started, which made her an appealing option! Edited August 3, 2016 by nd293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialClassical Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Wash Windows, clean light fixtures, wipe down baseboards, clean oven, weed or weed whack around bushes, flowers,and trees, clean window and slider door tracks, clean the top of fridge and other tall things, organize DVDs or books, teach younger sibs a skill, clean refrigerator, defrost freezer, plan and prepare 30 days of freezer meals, paint porch, railings, or house, iron clothes, clean the inside and doors of cupboards, and organize junk drawers. I hope it's not a super expensive phone! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Ds9 sanded and painted some wooden patio support poles for me. Can she get work outside the family? Dd was doing mother's helper work by then (by 14yrs I mean). She would take a bag of books and games (often water balloons in summer), and entertain the kids while the mother got on with whatever she needed to do. She had a low rate when she started, which made her an appealing option! Unfortunately, no. She wants to work for real. She has her working papers. She just doesn't have room in her schedule. That's why I don't want to be TOO hard on her, since it isn't a lack of work ethic or anything like that. I just want her to have some skin in the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I guess this depends on how much spare cash you have 'lying around' but we're in the process of selling our house, and that led us to fix or tidy lots of really small things around the house that had always irritated us but we never quite found the enthusiasm to fix. (That's where ds painting the patio supports came in). None of it cost a lot, but it did add up. If you look at each room with a view to "what would I do if I had absolutely nothing else on my schedule" you might come up with some great ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 My son is still working towards his new phone. He put it in his swim trunks pocket and jumped in the water. while on vacation last month. Currently he is using an Amazon Fire phone that no one wanted (it doesn't do Google Play well) He wants another Galaxy. Anyway, so far, he has been cleaning extra things, organizing extra things, will be organizing the basement for example. He doesn't seem that motivated, so I haven't pushed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 It seems like it was an accident as opposed to careless behavior. Does she feel badly about what happened? If so, I would let it slide. I just ruined my phone by accident and I felt so awful and stupid and could kick myself for the waste of money to get a new one. I would feel even worse if someone held it over me to pay off my mistake. I don't mean to sound rude or to say that you are being unreasonable. If she doesn't know the value of the phone and she seemed to shrug it off as no big deal, then I think it would be necessary for her to work extra to understand the phone's value. But if she feels bad, I would extend grace. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 My 14yo threw her phone in the wash with her sheets the other day, and it's toast. We will be getting her a new phone, but I want her to work it off. Unfortunately, I'm really struggling to come up with ideas for how to do that! She already shares dish washing (well, loading) duty with her sister. They mostly take care of the dog together. She cooks when asked, and sometimes volunteers to do so. She helps with laundry (see above!) We kind of rotate who washes the floor, who cleans the bathroom, etc.. Watching siblings while I run errands is already considered a family duty. If we were having a date night, that would be pay-worthy, but we've got nothing on the calendar! I just cleaned my car myself the other day, so that isn't even needed. All I've got so far is mowing the lawn. Which is good, but I don't feel like that's going to cut it. (Har har.) Does she knit? It's easy to do and the knitted dishcloths sell well. (You also might consider getting a used phone - like a 5S or something. They are much cheaper and she's on a budget. I found one when I needed one for $25. It's a smart phone but not a popular brand. MotoG I think.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 It seems like it was an accident as opposed to careless behavior. Does she feel badly about what happened? If so, I would let it slide. I just ruined my phone by accident and I felt so awful and stupid and could kick myself for the waste of money to get a new one. I would feel even worse if someone held it over me to pay off my mistake. I don't mean to sound rude or to say that you are being unreasonable. If she doesn't know the value of the phone and she seemed to shrug it off as no big deal, then I think it would be necessary for her to work extra to understand the phone's value. But if she feels bad, I would extend grace. But if the accident was her putting in the wash machine then the waste of money is hers to own. It will make her more careful and aware in the future. Mom and Dad bought her a phone. Phones are expensive. Carelessness results in broken phone. Teenager must either live without (such is life) or replace it. I really would go with used and then as she earns money she can resell and upgrade. It's like teaching your older teens to budget for a car. They need a car to make money and need money for a car... They get a cheapie to make more money, then upgrade. It's a good lesson on a small scale. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I like the clean out the fridge idea. Probably because my fridge needs to be cleaned! I always struggle with this too when my kids ask to "make money". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 (edited) My kids (13 and 15) mow lawns, and pet and house sit. They make very good money for their age and effort. My dd isn't a kid person, but babysitting would be another option. I'm not talking for family - I'm taking getting out there and asking neighbor's and getting /working/. Edited August 3, 2016 by FriedClams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 My teen has: built a landscape bed for me, cleaned the grout on my tile, washed all of my light fixtures and wiped all of my ceiling fans and return air vents, stained my deck, and did a number of other heavy/hard tasks for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I am paying my 13 year old to do some school work this summer, because he also doesn't have a lot of other ways to earn money, and it's worth it to me to get some extra school work done in the summer because it makes things easier at the start of the school year. One of the things he's getting paid for is writing a short research paper. It is his first one where he has to go to the library and find extra resources. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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