dshuck: Thinking of starting an allowance for my 9yr old. Do you guys do that and if so how much? Assigned chores?
about 2 minutes ago
iloveIannaHorta: @celinamaniquis aw u 2! hm, Im 2 shy 2 ask frm my prnts!! My allowance last wk ttally dsapprd in a flash... il let u knw asap I prmise! :-)
about 6 minutes ago
biiqdeal: I think imma give myself a 300 dollar a week drinking allowance kuz I blow all my cash on liq/beer seriously it's gettin Odee
about 10 minutes ago
Peter5044: RT @heywire: Heywire's in-depth coverage of the Youth Allowance debacle from around the nation. link
about 13 minutes ago
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"I want my $2!" |
 | By Molly Snyder Edler   OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Molly Snyder Edler |
| Published Sept. 21, 2009 at 12:16 p.m. |
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Recently, my son, who is 7, asked me how he could make money other than from the tooth fairy. I don't blame him. The fairy's occasional $2 doesn't do much for a boy who dreams of massive Lego sets and a bike with gears.
But is a 7-year-old allowance ready? And should he receive the cash in return for chores?
I grew up without an allowance. My parents thought doing basic household chores was simply a part of contributing to the family, not something you got paid for. They gave me money when I needed it, but not in exchange for, say, setting the table.
My son doesn't really need money. At this stage of his life, between birthday and holidays, he gets pretty much everything he wants. But I understand the pride factor when you pay for something yourself, with the money you earned. I want him to know that.
So I'm leaning towards giving him a weekly allowance, perhaps in exchange for a few extra chores, perhaps not. Regardless, how much should he get every week? It seems the amount kids get from the tooth fairy ranges a lot -- I've heard of sums ranging from $1 to $10 per tooth -- so allowance rates probably vary as well.
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5 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Recent Talkbacks ...
Posted by ssalvia on Sept. 21, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. (report)
My son is also 7 years old. He gets $4 per week for regular household chores like keeping his room clean and making sure to throw dirty clothes in the hamper etc. He can earn more helping me do "extra" projects like yard work! The trick is that he always has to put 50% of all of his earnings in the bank!
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Posted by dukefame on Sept. 21, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. (report)
I also have a 7 year old who gets a $5 a week allowance if he completes all the chores for the week, in addition to things like completing homework, getting up and dressed by a certain time. We also make them split the $ four ways, $2 for themselves, a buck each in the charity and savings jars and then a buck in the community jar which is used when all of us want to go to a movie or out for something special. If there isn't enough in the community jar then we aren't going anywhere. I believe it's never too early to start kids thinking about the relationship between work and earning money, and also instilling a sense of giving and saving.
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Posted by megster37 on Sept. 21, 2009 at 2:53 p.m. (report)
We had a chart system where chores were worth more than others. For instance, it may be 25 cents for setting the table, $1 for unloading the dishwasher, and like $5 for mopping the kitchen floor. It worked pretty well and was definitely a fair system.
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Posted by LegallyBlonde on Sept. 21, 2009 at 1:59 p.m. (report)
Maybe give him $5 per week, but his chores have to be done by a certain (yet very attainable) time. This way he can learn not only the concept of hard work, but also the concept of prioritizing.
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Posted by swami says on Sept. 21, 2009 at 1:19 p.m. (report)
Most of my friends started with allowance at 5yo. However one person started a 3 way split. 1 part to savings, 1 part to 'charity', and the remainder they can spend. A lot of us thought that was a great concept and helped us get over the "should we give them allowance" yet question.
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