Though the chore series is coming to an end, I feel it would be neglectful to not discuss the topic of allowance.
While I had already planned to include this topic, in doing a little bit of research, I was quite surprised to find it such a hotly contested point. As a result, I have rounded up as many pros & cons as I could find, & then sharing what we do in our home & why.
Pros
· Allowance can teach kids about finances & provide early opportunities make good money decisions.
· It teaches kids from an early age the relationship between hard work & pay. It will help the learn the value of money, rather than take for granted that money is available from mom & dad whenever you want something.
· It provides spending money for your children, as well as an opportunity to make small financial “mistakes” (if you spend some money every week for candy at the grocery store, you won’t have money to buy a larger toy like a sibling, etc).
· It can provide incentive for doing chores
· Allowance can be used to reward good grades in school, which can pay even more if good grades translate into scholarships
· You can require donation/tithing as part of your allowance system, which instill other values into the process
Cons
· Allowance can undermine the importance of contributing to the family (the idea of everyone in the family pitches in because it’s the right thing to do)
· Paying for chores may teach kids that making money isn’t always fun
· Kids may choose not to do chores if they don’t feel they need the money or have “saved” enough
· Allowance can be hard financially on a budget or in a large family
· It also can be another thing to think about, manage, or create a system for
· Having free spending money without parameters may set up poor habits for spending in the future, creating the idea that money is simply for buying fun stuff
I’m sure there are many more arguments for or against chores, but I honestly think it’s a personal decision for you family. In our house, we have regularly assigned chores for each child, but will offer money for jobs that go above & beyond. For example, I have paid our oldest to watch the baby outside while we work on the garden. We have paid a dollar for every kiddie wagon load of mulch they shoveled into their wagon & pulled to the garden. The list goes on. These chores are above & beyond the routine care of the house, so we find it appropriate to pay accordingly. Another benefit is that is does incentive working hard & being diligent to complete a task appropriately, rather than do it halfway to “check it off the list.”
In our house, this is the way to have the best of both worlds so to speak. It lets the kids have all the “pros” of allowance, while negating some of the cons as well. One of the biggest challenges is that there aren’t daily opportunities to earn money. Occasionally, it is something that Josh or I will initiate, but it also has started to be initiated by the kids, which we love to see!
Adri was saving for a pet rabbit for a while, so she was constantly on the search for odd jobs around the house to make money. It was genuinely wonderful, & I was happy to pay her for her hard work.
With multiple children, I think one of the biggest cautions is to ensure you give ALL your kids the opportunity to earn money. While the worker bees will experience the fruits of the labor, younger kids unable to complete as many tasks or not yet able to make the concrete correlation between work & pay may become resentful or frustrated when older siblings have money to spend.
That said, I would caution you not to give in & purchase something at the store for the younger child or the one without money. This undermines the earner’s hard work. Instead, offer a solution to the child without money. “Adri worked hard to earn this money doing chores around the house. If you would like to buy a toy, I would be happy to find some jobs when we get home for you to earn money towards your toy. Would you like to do that so that we can come back & buy this toy you want?” This type or response allows you to be sensitive to your younger child’s frustration, offer a teaching moment, & still be fair to the child who diligently worked to earn money.
Another consideration is setting fair prices for these types of chores that are equitable with a variety of ages. More specifically, an older child is able to do harder chores, which may be deserving of higher pay than what a younger child is able to accomplish. Similarly, if you have children with delays, you may also have to consider how that compares to your “typical” children. There isn’t necessarily one right way to do this, but again, a spectrum of options based on your family’s dynamics. However, it is worth noting that your older children may often have larger purchase amounts, & more ability to be responsible with money to budget. It is reasonable to assume that they may have a greater earning potential that younger children, within reason.
No matter what, allowance can be a valuable tool, when used judiciously! However, what works for one family may not be good for another. As a result, we’d love to hear your thoughts about allowance! Do you give one? What challenges do you experience & how have you handled them? I love hearing what other families do.
As always, love to you all!
Until the next adventure.
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