Home Economics - Page 2

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by phathui5

Thank you flylady (not for all your annoying emails, but for the cleaning instructions).

:LOL

Flylady taught me to clean, make meal plans, etc.

[Kim]

Another quick question regarding balancing piggy-banks, and help around the house:

At what age do you introduce an allowance? What types of tasks deserve payment?

** I know I could search all over the Parenting forum for allowance information, but I'd like to hear more from an 'educational' standpoint.

[thrrrnbush]

In our household allowance is a privilege available to full-time students. I want their educations to be their main focus and I will allow them some discretionary funds, supposedly to keep them from getting full-time jobs instead. I'm a stingy mom for my area ($.50 a week for my Kindergartener, with the plan to pay $1 per grade level from here on). That's to give them some incentive to work for extra, to save for good stuff et cetera.

I personally believe in paying extra only if the task done really saved me time to have them do it. I won't pay for things that are essentially cleaning up after themselves (i.e. making their beds) but I would pay for them to dig a deep hole to plant a tree in, if I handed them a shovel and they did the rest independently.

That's my take on managing the piggy banks. Right now my Miss Divatude is saving her quarters to buy a beta fish, but if she pulls it off I'll donate a fish bowl and pay for the food.

Thanks,
Crystal

[RubyWild]

Everything you mentioned sounds very important. I often think the most important classes I took in highschool were cooking and sewing. I actually remember that stuff, whereas all the rest I had to re-learn in college and grad school.

I have a friend who can't cook, but can't afford not to, so she's stuck with sandwiches etc. She can't sew a button on a shirt, so she throws stuff out if it simply loses a button or becomes unhemmed in a spot.

My child will learn to enough basics to cook, clean, budget, garden, do home repair and home improvements, sew... I don't think it's a feminist issue unless it's done in a gendered way in which boys only do some things and girls the rest.

[lilyka]

On fuinances and allowance - My children are not privy to our income. Heck, I am not all that aware of it. we have an incorperated busines and the numbers make me feel ill. Our accountant does all the heavy number crunching. our personal andb usiness finances are a tangled mess. I take my share each month and live within that bidget. we are a cash only family so it is easy for me to show them "this is it chickies. we can't afford it" They recieve an allowance when there is money for it $2 a week for each of them. Baby's just goes in the bank. : the other two are learning to save, budget and tithe. we don't associate allowances with work (they work because they are members of this family. when it is associated with work they have the option of deciding they would rather skip the money and not do the work. they also can't work for a raise ) Occaisiionally i will give them the option of working for money (yard work, extra cleaning and hauling etc)m My middle chil will get busy and my older will opt out. I don't think it will take her long to catch on to the whoel you reap what you sew factor there.

I will not be teaching my child how to use a credit card. i will be teaching them how to avoid them at all costs.

I wanted to point out thatone of the reasons I feel it is so important that my children kow how to do these things despite if it is ther thing or not is because these skill will save money (and that has come in way handy - i hate cooking but it is beter for my children and better for our budget so i do it and am glad I have the skills) and it is beter for the environment. Someone mentioned throwing away a shirt over what amounts to a few loose threads!! I am sure many people do that. how much better if that perfectly good peice of clothing (or any other mildly damaged item) as repaired rather than tossed in a landfill and replaced. It is thier responsibility to know how to clean efficiently with mild cleaners, cook in a way that is friendly to the earth, to do home repair and clothing repair, how to get stains out and go easy on thier possesions. it all comes back to being environmentally responsible which of cours eis important for everyone.

In my first post I said that I "was teaching my girls these things" I just want to point out I would also be teaching my sons these things if I had any. that was in no way sexist thing. Just wanted to clarify.