“I don’t have any money at ALL in my bank and I need more!” While this sounds a lot like the front page of the WSJ these days, this is actually the sad and slightly scary voice of my almost-seven-year-old daughter. I think it is high time to introduce the idea of chores, allowance, and fiscal responsibility.
Who knew what a difficult subject that would be to tackle?
I was raised with chores, and loads of them, and I received an allowance. How else would I have been able to sport those dangly hot pink triangle earings? I don’t know how old I was when I started doing chores– and getting paid for them, but I remember high school (boy, do I ever!) chores. Obviously, my Tiernan is not going to be mowing the lawn at his point, so I need to figure out what she can, and more importantly will do.
Here is what I have come up with so far: make bed, clean up table after meals, unload dishwasher, clean up room. I don’t think things like “brushing teeth” should be considered a chore, nor should be paid for with an allowance. Which brings me to my second point: why should children be “paid” to clear the table, and help in other ways around the house? Since I have started thinking about this whole development, I have gotten a little confused about the meaning of chores and allowance. I mean, if the “experts” suggest that rewarding a child with a desert for eating a healthy meal is bad news, what must they say to paying a child to clean up her dishes?
But still- they need money in that piggy…
So, what I think I am going to do is slowly start asking for more help from Tiernan around the house, without any real explanation. (How do you think that will go over?) I am also going to talk to her about an allowance- separate from the chores. I will add a dollar a week into her piggy, and more if she does a special project, like organizing the toy bins or washing the car. I guess I could hang the allowance over her head as a threat/bride/punishment, but then I’m wading in murky waters again. Still, tempting…
A final decision to make about allowance is how to teach them to use it. I have heard of the “thirds” rule, where they can spend one third on themself, one third is to save, and the final third is to give away. I think this is a lot to ask of anyone, whether it’s a mom making $100,000 a year or a seven year old making $1 a week. I might lean more towards one half for her to spend on herself, then divvy up the other half into savings and charity.
I am painfully aware that all these plans could change or never even take off, as most of my attempts at new things with my children go (especially those that I spend this much time thinking about). I would love to hear if your children have chores or receive an allowance, and how you decided to approach that. Maybe by the time my daughter reaches her 21st birthday, I will have figured out the BEST way to teach her about family and financial responsibility. By then, she’ll have maxed out her credit card (if they will still exist), have two cars leased, and have a pigsty for a bedroom. Oh, the pressure…
