Chores - Orlando,FL

Chores are something everyone in the household does so that you have a clean, pleasant living environment. No one is paid to help out. Chores include: setting/clearning the table, taking out the garbage, keeping room clean, putting away clean cloths, feeding pets, etc.

If a child does something above and beyond normal chores like cleaning out the garage money is earned.

As far as an amount, that should be tied into the amount you can afford, but nothing extragant.

We don't have allowance in our house. Allowance sounds like welfare. We do commission. My 15 year old and my 6 year old are on commission. They have jobs to complete every week. If the job is not completed they don't get paid. My 15 year old has to clean the toilets, sweep the porch, vacuum the car and vacuum the downstairs. She gets 20.00 per week. But she also has to buy her own toiletries now. Trying to teach her what things cost etc. She had her first job this past summer to start saving for a car. She saved over 2000.00. She also has a checking account now and has to keep her account balanced and she has a written budget. She is doing great!

The 6 year old has to feed the dog every night, feed the cats every night, clean out the laundry hampers and put the folded laundry in the room where it goes and put the silverware out of the dishwasher away. She gets 2.50 a week. She is also required to save .25 a week for purchases in the future. She can save more if she wants but she has to save .25 a week. She saved up 10.00 and bought her little sister a stuffed monkey for her 1st birthday. She wanted to do that and was very proud of her accomplishment. She also saved up money and bought a plasma car that was on sale.

We also have chores that they have to do just for being part of the family. They don't get paid for those. And we have chores that we do together as a family like cleaning up the yard in the Spring etc.

Hope that helps you.

Our allowance amount is tied to what grade they are in.

Example:

3rd Grader gets $3/week
5th Grader gets $5/week
8th Grader gets $8/week

My kids' allowance is NOT tied to their chores. They are expected to do things around the house without being paid for them. If they go above and beyond (clean/sweep the garage or help with yard work), we'll give them extra money.

Edited for clarity.

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Jubee has the right idea. "My kids' allowance is tied to their chores. They are expected to do things around the house without being paid for them. If they go above and beyond (clean/sweep the garage or help with yard work), we'll give them extra money. "

I gave my kids money for helping do things beyond the normal chores. I did this basically so they could learn how to handle money and budget and save. If they wanted something more expensive or nice I would tell them I would match what they had saved or would save to buy it.

Doing that helped them to budget and to save for things they really wanted.

Good luck to you and yours.

We do not pay our children for daily chores but do buy them treats and such if they go above and beyond the normal chores...ie dust, ogranize clothes stuff like that.

My 8 yo daughter has this chore list:
*********************************
Every Day Before School:
Wash face, brush hair, get dressed.
Make bed and tidy up room.
Put dirty clothes in basket.
Wipe out bathroom sink after use.

Every Day After School:
Gather your belongings from other rooms of the house; put away!
Unload silverware from dishwasher.
Feed the cats and clean out litter boxes.
Set the table.
Dry the dishes after Mom washes them.
Put away shoes and coat and backpacks after school.
Set out backpack and anything needed for school next day.
Bring in the mail.

On Saturdays:
Strip the sheets from your bed and put in the laundry.
Wipe all the doorknobs with a Clorox wipe.
Empty your clothes basket into the laundry.
Help mom or dad put clean sheets on bed.
Put the bathroom rug in laundry.
Dust your bedroom.
*************************************

My 12 yo son has a longer list, as he is older.

They both know that they do chores because they are part of this family, and we all have a responsibility to each other to help the household run smoothly. (yeah, like THAT happens! But it's a nice theory!)

I do give each of them $5.00 a week as their "payday". Their job is to go to school and be a good student. (This is not in any way related to grades - it just means that they have to go try their best at school)

Once they receive their pay, they immediately give back to me 40% (2.00) so that I can divvy it up in their "accounts" that I keep for them. 10% each goes to church, charity, college, and short term savings.

So that's how we do it.

By 7, I was doing all chores my mother could do. By 9, I was doing more chores than my mother. As for allowance, I wouldn't base it on chores as I don't think that is something that should be rewarded but taught it is expected reward or not.

But, I do agree on allowances, and withholding it for poor behavior. I was given maybe $5 - 10 a week. 10% went into savings, 10% went to tithing and the rest was mine. Every now and then, my parents would get some some unexpected extra allowance as a surprise, if I had done particularly well that week. I could save it up and get something really nice. I was pretty careful with my money and learned how to save and not blow it. I had a checking account by the time I was 9 and could record the balances and everything.

By the time I was 15, I worked, was responsible for buying my toiletries (shampoo/razor/make-up...), clothes, cheerleading. I actually had to give my entire paycheck to my parents, they would take out what I owed them and give me a small portion (cheerleading was expensive).

We use to have a sticker chart for when they were younger. If you helped out ( no matter how much or little) you got one sticker. If they would pick up toys (with out my help doing it by being asked), help clear the table, put thier clothes or towels away, put the silverware/ pots away stuff like that. Once they got 5 stickers they could get a small treat ( candy bar, toy under $5) 10 stickers they could get an ice cream treat while at the store or a toy that was a little more ( under $10). Once they got 20 ( yup skipped 15.. if they wanted to cash in at 15 they got the same as 10) They could get something under $20 or a happy meal at mc donalds. It was nice cause they usually chose mc donalds... now that they are older they still joking tease me about them saving up so many and it equalled out to be the cheapest thing on the list. But it was also a big event for them to get to go there with mom.

We still do this for the youngest two (3&4). The older 3 now have a set list of chores they have to do and they don't recieve money. But we will let them pick out something once a month (like a new cd or game for the PS, a book), will let them get a treat while shopping ( candy, a can of pop or a pkg of cookies) weekly and we pay for thier minutes on thier tracfones when it runs out, but no more than twice a month for our oldest (15) and the younger two (11 &12) don't use them very much so we make sure they stay activated by putting the lowest amount on for the 3 months.

My 5yr gets $2 a week for helping me around the house, brushing her teeth and not me, feeding her kitty in the morning, and picking up toys at nite. The toys dont always get done but i cut a little slack, she doesnt have to be perfect on her chore chart. I could never remember nor her so we bought this cute princess theme chore chart that has magnets to put on it. Works great.

For the 7yr I suggest no more than $5. I have heard of doing a $1 per age but thats expensive for me and then my daughter would buy so much toys or junk i wouldnt know what to get her for holidays. For chores, the 7yr can set the table for dinner, make bed in morning, help with sibling, dusting part of house, vaccuming, putting away groceries, and etc. Of course not all that. Just pick about 5 chores

My daughter has to chores without an allowance. But she can do extra stuff for money and items. They both can be making their beds. Might take the 4 year old longer. 7 year old can sweep up under the kitchen table after dinner. If you have place mats 4 year old can dump the crumbs in the trash or while down if they are plastic. When my daughter turned 9 she got the job of putting the clean folded clothes away. Remember they are young. Don't expect to tell them to do it and walk away. They want your attention. I would sit in her room and talk to her while she made put away her clothes. Sometimes when she was making her bed. 4 year old can put his toys away and clean up after his play time. 7 year can help feed pets

Updated

My daughter has to chores without an allowance. But she can do extra stuff for money and items. They both can be making their beds. Might take the 4 year old longer. 7 year old can sweep up under the kitchen table after dinner. If you have place mats 4 year old can dump the crumbs in the trash or while down if they are plastic. When my daughter turned 9 she got the job of putting the clean folded clothes away. Remember they are young. Don't expect to tell them to do it and walk away. They want your attention. I would sit in her room and talk to her while she made put away her clothes. Sometimes when she was making her bed. 4 year old can put his toys away and clean up after his play time. 7 year can help feed pets