Allowance

I mentioned this might be my next post and, well, it is!

We have toyed with the idea of allowance before and we've done the chore charts, etc, but nothing really worked for us enough to stick with it. Or, shall I say, worked for me. Here are the two arguments in my head. I want the kids to get an allowance and learn to manage money, but we don't necessarily have extra money to give them. I want them to do chores because they are part of this family. I don't want allowance to seem like they are getting paid for their chores, but should they get a full allowance if they don't get their jobs done? I also don't like for one job to be for one person. I just want the kids to do what I ask of them, no matter what.

So, there are certain chores the kids do - dishwasher, set table, empty little garbage cans in big garbage, take main garbage out, take recycle out, water flowers, get clothes from the dryer, etc. If I ask you to do a certain job, you just do it, no questions asked. I don't care if you did it last time and I don't care if someone hasn't been asked to do a job lately. I'm the mom, just do it! They all have their own jobs that they have to do also - clear their place setting after dinner, homework without complaint, PJs under pillow so they can be found that evening, pick up toys each night at bedtime, laundry in basket, etc.

This has worked much better than me hearing, "It isn't my turn"!!

At some point in the summer I decided we needed to do allowance so the kids could see how they should take care of their money. I don't know how this rates on the scale of others, but for each kid we do 10 cents per year each week. For example, Mollee is 9, so each week she gets 90 cents. Capps is 6, so each week he gets 60 cents. It only costs us $3.30 each week. We have a box that the kids keep their money in and we have an envelope that we put their tithe in (and we take that church once a month rather than trying to remember every one's change each week). We also have a separate container (McDonald's Happy Meal milk jugs) that they put their savings in.

It has been fun and has been good for them to see that you give back some to the Lord, you save some - every time! - and then you can spend the rest on whatever you want, no questions asked. It is really nice because when they ask me for something I'll say, "just save your money and you can get it".

What are your thoughts on allowance?