What do you believe about chores? What do you believe about allowance? If your kids do chores, how old are they and what are their specific tasks? How did you get to that point of getting them to do chores?
I totally believe in chores! I like that they teach kids to help out around the house and clean up after themselves. I’m not sure what to think about allowance. I certainly want my kids to know the value of money – they will learn that! But I think there are some household tasks that they should be expected to do without receiving pay for it. At what age were your kids when you started doing allowance, and how did you determine the amount?
Currently, 4 yo has two main chores: emptying the dishwasher (plates and bowls) and matching up everyone's socks from the clean laundry. This is in addition, though, to making her bed, clearing her plate/cup/bowl off the table after meals, and helping me throughout the day when I ask. 2 yo has one main chore: emptying the silverware from the dishwasher. He also clears his table settings (with help) and makes his bed (with help). I read somewhere that you could assign the number of chores for half their age (rounding up on odd years). I thought I’d give it a shot and see what happens.
In the past, I’ve tried sticker charts where the kids could put up a sticker after accomplishing a task, but they didn't seem too motivated by it. The current schedule we’re on seems to help the kids realize that some parts of the day are work times and others are play times. I’m not really getting any grumbles from them when I ask for them to do their chores. However, when I first introduced the tasks, there was grumbling and pouting lips. But since I was there to help out and walk them through it, they caught on and are okay with it now.
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4 comments:
Yeah, the sticker chart got old, or my kids just grew out of it (ages 5,5,3), but it was a good intro. Now that the older ones are needing to do more routine chores, I do offer a very small allowance for accomplishing all of them. This helps them save money and understand that they can discern what to buy themselves, etc...
It has been a good age to start that. I do think that when I am asking them to help me, they are much more willing. when I send them on a job by themselves to do, they usually don't do it.
--Meghan
Meghan -- If you don't mind my asking, how much do you give them for allowance? Or, if you'd prefer, how did you determine at amount? Are you using a workbook or other type thing to teach them about money, or are you doing it on your own?
I totally need help on the chore thing! My kids (4,3,1) are expected to do the things I ask them throughout the day, but they don't really have any set chores yet. We tried a few charts and giving them a penny or whatever- they loved it, but it was just frustrating to me! I am working on collecting metal frozen juice lids to make some magnets for chores. It will have a picture of the chore they are to do and then move it on a paper taped to the fridge from the "to do" to the "done" side. I don't plan on giving them any reward for it yet- because, like you said, there are just things they need to realize must be done around the house. I'll let you know how it goes and will check back to this question often for ideas of what has worked for other families!
I also think chores are important, but haven't started yet with my kids. My 2 yr old has had much difficulty with mastering physical skills and didn't even start walking until a few months ago, so we've been focusing on physical therapy stuff, which seems to be plenty for her to concentrate on for now. She does help me out with a few things though, like putting laundry from her room and the boys' room down the laundry chute. That's about it.
As far as allowance goes, I'm a fan of the kids learning about money, but not about paying them to do household chores. I want them to know that you do household chores simply because you're part of the family....and if you use the house, you need to help maintain it. You do household chores to help secure the welfare of your family because you care about them. This will apply to everyday things, making beds, helping set/clear the table, doing dishes, helping carry in and put away groceries, cleaning bathrooms, garbage and lawn duty, etc.
I plan on instituting opportunities for the kids to earn money by doing "extra" chores, that are things that need to be done but I would normally hire someone else to do anyways. For example, I don't always have time to hand wash the van, so I would pay for a car wash. If my kids want to wash it, they can earn money. If they want to vacuum it, that's worth a little more. The amt will either be determined by how much I would normally pay for the service, or, if they're saving for something special, how much that thing costs. A few extra chores on a list over the course of a week or two could easily add up to the cost of a new game, expensive toy or whatever. This will allow them to learn the value of money as it applies in the real world. You can earn money, but people don't just give you money for doing the right thing, or for doing things that you should be doing anyways.
These opinions on how chores and money should be handled with kids have always been my stance, however I have never seen it explained so articulately as in chapter 8 of "Let the Children Come Along the Virtuous Way", a book on raising moral children by Gary and AnnMarie Ezzo. It was the book that we studied for our "Growing Kids God's Way" bible study. It's an awesome book all around I think, but I really liked the way they explained this part of it. It talks about "duty labor" versus "purchasing labor". And I don't remember it talking much about the age to start, but I think it depends on each individual child and their capacity to help and understand. I like Karen's thing about assigning a number of tasks equal to half the children's age...that's good.
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