Allowances... A word that inspires much debate among parenting experts. I'm not expert so I thought it would be helpful to provide some resources that might help you make up your mind as to how you prefer to handle it.
Kaboose
PTA recommendations on FamilyEducation.com
Parenthood.com - this article most closely agrees with what I'll discuss below
I'm sure if you've read my posts over the last week you have a pretty good idea of my viewpoint. The debate centers around two arguments:
1) Allowance shouldn't be tied to chores, because chores are a responsibility as a member of the family
2) Allowance should be tied to chores, so children can learn the value of a dollar and to work for their goals.
I agree with both standpoints. What? As I've been mentioning, there are two types of chores. The first are those that are expected as members of the household, picking up after themselves, and basic every day chores....
Unloading and loading the dishwasher, setting the table, doing a load of laundry, folding laundry if they are younger, dusting or vacuuming, basic home upkeep type chores. Tie this to household priveleges, watching tv, computer time, game time, etc. They don't contribute to household upkeep, they don't get to enjoy the fun aspects of the household.
However, allowance should be tied to chores, for the reasons mentioned above. They learn the value of a dollar and how to work for what they want. Yes, mowing the lawn or washing the car or weeding are all part of helping maintain the household, but they are needed less often and are great chores to tie to earning an allowance. Rather than an allowance being a given, make at least part of it earned. A job jar can help with this, allowing you to monitor the jobs that are needed and available to be done for additional allowance.
How do you handle allowance?
I sooooooooooooooooo agree with you on this one!!
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