Hey girls.. This is a topic that is hotly debated at my house. So I do like all good wives. I bring it here for more input:lol: Presently, dh will not give the boys an allowance...yes I know, but he makes some good points. OTOH, I am for giving them allowance BUT maybe not in the way a lot of people think about it. I understand that a lot of thoughts are based too on how one was brought up, and their present view of money or lack of it in his case. This has had a lot to do with our hot debate.. DH thinks by giving the boys a weekly allowance, he makes them worry about material things way before they need to. His life was such, it was a constant worry because they didn't have much of it. He wants the boys to enjoy a childhood free of the terrible worry he went through. My thoughts are I don't tie in allowance with chores. Thank goodness, we agree on that..Chores are something that every family member is suppose to do and not be paid for. So the money will not be tied into chores, but attitude. I want them to learn the value of it. I want them to start paying for their own toys, movies and if they have it, we can go out to eat. They save and learn the value that way. If they don't have it, it doesn't get bought,kwim?.... Do ya'll do allowances, how do ya'll figure them? I have an idea of how much for each age...
We do allowances with our kids. We actually buy a lot of what the kids NEED, but not a lot of what they want. We are not ones to give outrageous amounts though, which I think some allowances are. We give one dollar per year of age per month. So, my 14 yo gets $14 per month, etc. Since we pay for many of their needs, they end up having enough that way. They also understand that money doesn't grow on trees, and is not available at whim! I think children are misled of how easy money is to come by when parents give them $20 a week or so. They need to learn to work for what they get, I think! It's more real-life that way. If parents give kids so much now, then when they're older, and get real jobs, they'll be disappointed in the amount, cuz they'll expect more! We give the allowance at the beginning of the month. We all sit around the table, and they first pull out the 10% tithe amount, then they put half of their total in savings, any of the rest they can use for offerings or whatever they wish (within reason of course!). So My 14-yo gets $14, minus $1.40 for tithe, minus $7.00 for savings, and they usually give at least 5% for offering, so...minus .70 for offering. From his $14. total, he ends up with $4.90ish per month. I know that's not a lot, but he doesn't need a lot. Our point with allowance is to teach them to tithe first thing when they get paid, and also the importance of saving. They can do extra jobs to earn extra money if they want to. To us, chores are part of being a family, and the allowance is not based on that. It's kind of the same as chores I guess---they get allowance because they are part of the family. If they do not act like a part of the family, and try to do their own thing, then I guess we would not be able to support that, so would not give them the allowance. We've never run across that though, thankfully!
Deena, your 14 year old doesn't grouse about 4.90 a month?? If he were to buy a magazine, per say, that's his whole allowance. What kinds of things does he like to buy, in general? Kevin earns his money cleaning. Jeannie just started allowance and she gets 1 dollar a week. She gives a dime at church, which is a tithe. I wonder what they think when they collect offering and there sits this lonesome dime?? This was the first week she gave, and the usher just looked at me for a minute, lol. Jeanne has to put away her laundry, pick up her toys when told, and cooperate with lessons.
I started giving Rachael an allowance when she was little (3) of 10 cents a week. BUT the purpose of it was to teach tithing. We would count out ten pennies every Sunday morning, then count nine into her bank, and took number 10 with us to church. Carl still gives the kids allowance on Sunday mornings before church, so they will have their tithe. I'm not sure how much they each get. I've lost patience with this whiney noise Faythe makes when she things don't go her way, so I've been charging her 25 cents every time she does it. And it has been working! Her allowance really isn't big enough for her to give me too much money in one week, LOL!
Well, I'm always odd man out, but here is what we are doing presently. I have tried the "allowance" thing with dd in the past. She can't remember to ask for it and I couldn't remember to give it. Also, I buy all they need and then some so they don't really need it. However, I don't buy toys for them. They get b'day, holiday, report card money from family and they get to spend that on themselves. I don't give out money for those things usually. I do require my kids to do kid chores without pay(make beds, dust their own rooms, pick up their toys, pick up and put away dirty clothes, put away clean clothes, help out in the kitchen, etc). I will pay for extra chores that are performed. I even made a chart with the pay schedule. So, if dd or ds want to earn some extra spending money then they can help around the house more. This works for us and as you all know, I can use all the help I can get! I look at it like this. My kids are part of the family and they are required to do family type chores that are typical for their age. They get all they need so I don't feel the need to give them money. If they feel they need money for something then they can perform a job to get paid. I only allow this if they have done their usual chores and school work is complete though. I think this is a nice learning experience and teaches them about the real world. If they do a job well they get paid and are allowed to do more jobs. If they don't do a job well they are docked pay or are asked to do better before getting paid. It also teaches responsibility. If they don't finish school work or regular family chores then they cannot do extra work for money.
I do that, Missy, I dock Kevin if he doesn't do his cleaning properly. I will give a warning and give him time to redo, but if he snoozes he loses!
I think it depends on what stage the child is at in his/her own life. We use to do allowance. We had a chore chart (age approx 4-5) and then we had coin stickers. So..certain chores were worth a certain amount of money and he would put the stickers that valued each chore he did. At the end of the week he had to add it all up and tell me how much he got. Usually it was around $1.30-$1.60 (I don't really remember). Now...he's not into the allowance thing and not wanting to buy anything in particular (7 is ticking around the corner). He still does chores and has to help out around the house but...money is not a "button" for him right now so...I'm saving mine. :lol: If he helps me out doing something that is "above & beyond the call of duty" then I will usually compensate him and say "thank you very much". BUT...not everytime since I don't want them to expect to be paid all the time. It's finding that happy medium. I say if they are wanting the extra $$$$$ then lay it out as to what they have to do to earn it. Depending on age depends what they are cabable of. I have a almost 7 year old and 3 year old so...when they help me vacuum....they don't quite get it but...they tried AND that is what matters most! They do have to pick up their toys when I do vacuum, bring their dirty clothes hampers to me on wash day, bring the empty hangers from their room, ds#1 daily has to empty 3 small trash cans, make his bed, practice his piano. Those are his "chores". We don't consider getting dressed or teeth & hair brushing chores. I'd also say that the chore had a value, not who did it. So...if the chore is emptying the dishwasher - it's value is .25 So...then what do you do for collaborative efforts? Hummmm depends on the family LOL If they argue over who will do it for .25 then make them split it and both do it. :lol: You could even break it down and say...well I think it will take you 5 min to empty the dishwasher so I will pay .25 which would be $3/hr labor Make them stretch those math muscles. lol :lol: Good luck!
Tina: I agree with you, I do give my dd's some money for things they do for me around the house. So, they can go buy what they need. It's funny once we started doing that they would go to store and take there money and would look at a game or toy and say wow that's alot of money and don't get it. They would tell us it's not worth it, I don't think I would play with long, so I don't need it. But, if mom or dad would of said we would buy it then they would take and it would sit. Oh don't get me wrong they would play with for a day or so then in the toy box it would go. So, I think it's wonderful to give them allowance, to show them what money is. And for them to see it don't grow on trees anymore. My girls have sure learn alot about getting allowance and how far money goes. It helps with there math too. Because they have to figure out how much the toy or game is then add taxes to see if they have enough for everything. It's work for me. But, then I am different. LOL
we havn't been doing allowence lately do mostly to the bedrooms being a mess, but when we did do it, we let the kids put their money in their piggy bank, ---because we bought what they needed and maybe a toy a month plus what Grandma gives them! But they saved and saved for a long time we finally cut open the piggy banks, (the only knid we have found that works is the kind of plastic kind of piggy that has only one opening for the money to go in) and then they put it all together and we went to toys R us, the kids got to spend half of their money and half went toard a "log cabbin" -one of those large play houses, we also put in $100 to it, and we found it on sale when we bought it. one year they got a new swing set with the money they saved, again they put half and we put half. since the tooth fairy comes here the kids put that money in their piggy bank, except youngest dd has requested to spend hers at Micheals craft store on someting she really wants, and she hasn't even lost her first tooth yet, (first tooth brings $5, $1 there after) the kids get money from my dad on birthdays and sometimes a gift card from my aunt, which is sometimes dificult because, only one of the kids have a birthday apart from the others (1 in june and 3 in October) so when it comes time for the three to have their shopping spree the one feels left out.
Because Tanner is small yet, I can't really give you thoughts on what we do, but more like what we will do. I don't believe in making a child buy something that he/she "needs"...clothes, food, etc. from their own money. It's still our responsibility to parent our children and give them the food clothing and shelter they need. I would however make a child responsible for buying extras that they want, like a video or game. Tanner doesn't get an allowance...he's only 3, but when he is older, like in K or 1st grade we will probably start giving him an allowance for extra stuff he wants and we will probably do it much like Becky described. He will get his "base" pay for the chores and anything he doesn't do or slacks on will be docked from his pay. This is what my parents always did and even though I got paid for doing chores, I still turned out to be a neat freak so I'm not worried about Tanner not learning what things are a neccesity. When I was young I got $10 a week. Then when I got my first job at age 16 I was not given an allowance anymore and had to pay for my own car, insurance, gas, and anything extra I'd like to buy, or for places I'd like to go with my friends. I had friends who were handed over everything from mommy and daddy and they were not taught responsibility at all. I refuse to let my child become a spoiled little brat like some of those I see around town. I like how my parents did it and will probably follow suite because it taught me how to be responsible for the things that were important.
Let me also add that I didn't start at no $10 a week for allowance...that was when I was a teenager. I started out at $5 a week when I turned 7 or 8 I think.
Becky, I said in my post, but Missy said it better in hers (a couple messages after yours), we supply their needs, and he has opportunities to earn extra. Giving them an allowance isn't their right it's a privilege that we give them to help them learn and practice tithing and saving. So if he gripes about the amount he gets, he can choose to do extra chores to get it. It's HIS choice. Allowance is pretty much a freebie, so he shouldn't complain about that! And he doesn't, for which I am thankful!
Understand, though, Deena, I wasn't putting down how you pay him! I originally thought you gave him 14.00 a week. I did a double take and saw the word 'month', and I thought 'wow!' Heavens no, everybody has to do what they know is right for their kids. It's true we all give our kids their needs, the allowance is for wants. You're very smart to make them save. Rummy here didn't enforce that with Kevin and now he's broke no sooner than I pay him. Saving isn't an easy habit to start, either.
WOW!!! That sounds like so much!!! When I started in Junior High School, Mom would give me $1 each day for lunch. I got to keep whatever was left. (A "plate lunch" at the time was .65). Then in 9th grade, I started working in the lunch room. Didn't get paid, but I DID get a lunch ticket worth $1.10 each day. So Mom decided to still give me my $1 a day. Plus I would use ALL my "free" lunch. My friend would go through with me. I got what I wanted, she got what she wanted and paid anything over $1.10. It worked out for everyone (especially ME!) Then when I moved to the high school, they didn't give tickets anymore. Instead, I got a REAL pay check!!! I also had a job in 6th grade where I did some filing for Mom's friend who worked at a real estate office. I started at .80/hour. Mom's friend eventually quit, and after a few months, the boss called me up and wanted me to continue. I got my own key and set my own hours, as long as things were kept up to date. I'd go on vacation, and then have to put in extra time to get caught up when I came home. It was great for a kid!
No we don't give allowances. My kids have to extra work for me or their daddy to earn extra money. My dd works for her grandma to earn money to buy her horses food and to have his hooves done.
I guess one reason we give what some people consider not enough (though my kids are happy, go figure!) is because we have 3 kids---some of you have more. I don't see giving $10 a week to 3 (or more) kids every week of the year--with everything else we pay out each month, we'd go broke! They don't have a use, really, for that much money anyway, in my opinion. Then they'll want more as they get older, and that wouldn't be able to happen! I like keeping it small and letting them work for any extra they want. It teaches them the responsibility to do much with a little and being happy with what you have! I'm pretty impressed with what my kids have done with their little bit, and they have good size savings accounts also, which will come in handy for them later on in life when they really DO need the money! My parents didn't give us much allowance, and sometimes none, but they did make it clear that once we got a job, we were responsible for gas in the car, insurance, maintenance, helping with food costs, etc. I think that's important too, and we all learned from it! Too bad we homeschool mom's don't get an "allowance" for our teaching jobs!
I suppose it was much easier for my parents...it's only me and my brother and we're 7 years apart. By the time I got my first job, he was just starting to get an allowance.
All right, that was the input I wanted...:lol: Now, let me post the allowance chart that was printed in the homeschooling parents Vol 6. Issue 3..(just this past month) Age..................Avg. WEEKLY allowance 3.......................2.67 4.......................2.66 5.......................2.77 6.......................3.40 7.......................3.64 8.......................4.24 9.......................5.01 10.....................5.88 11.....................6.53 12....................7.61 13....................8.66 14....................11.03 15....................12.94 16....................16.07 17.....................16.95 Okay, the article does go on to say these tips---- Pay it regularly and on time. Choose an amount that will force your child to make choices among savings, spending and charitable contributions. Make a list of what the allowance will cover. DON'T tell your children what to spend it on Don't make allowances conditional on doing chores. But do have a list of chores where they can earn additional money. I have to admit the article makes a lot of good points. They say we reward people in employment by money. Also, how they can budget/manage/save if they don't know what they are getting? Another good point,imho They said this pays for EVERYTHING for them for the month, If you set it up that way. If they spend it ALL and nothing for the movie, welllllll .........mmmmm isn't that how life really is? That means my monthly total for my youngest is 11.08, my middle one 20.04 and my oldest 26.12. A total of 88.36 for the month for us to pay them.......... mmmmmmmmmmmm....I need to compare that against what we eat out on each week, and do spend on them.. I told DH it might be actually be cheaper to give them an allowance and set it up where they make their own tithes regularly, savings deposit and toy buying..:lol:
