[HappyTimeKids]

Hi everyone! Hope all is well. Haven't written in a while.

Just wondering...Do you give your kids an allowance? If so, how much? (If you don't mind my asking, just trying to set a fair price for my kids!)

What do your kids have to do to "earn" the allowance? What are the ages of your kids?

Trying to figure something fair for my two boys - 9 and 13.

Thanks everyone!

 

[SagMom]

My youngest, (5) gets an allowance, but it's not something he needs to earn--it's just money that he can spend as he chooses.

My older two (10 and 14) got an allowance until they got paper routes (at 9 and 11.) Once they had this job, they told me they didn't need an allowance anymore.

I'm not sure what I'd consider fair for children your children's ages--I guess it would depend on what you expect them to spend it on. Is it just for fun or will they have to buy their own lunches/clothes, etc.? I think it depends on what you intend.

 

[lumi]

I don't give my kids (6 and 10) an allowance. They don't have any real chores, although of course they help out with various things sometimes, and they can't go shopping alone anyway. I buy most of what they ask for, within reason. When they're teenagers, or when they ask for an allowance, I'll start giving them one, but not dependent on chores, just a little something for them to spend on themselves, and I still expect to provide their lunch money, clothes, etc.

 

[UnschoolnMa]

My kids (11.5, and about to turn 14) do not get an allowance from Dh and I. We feel that the money we have as a family is basically for our whole family. If the kids need any money they just have to ask, and we just also give them some so they have it on hand. They don't have to do anything to get the money.

 

[Kari_mom]

I give my kids an allowance. My 11 yo receives $20 a month and my 6 yo receives $12 a month. They chose the once a month payment. I consider this is to be just spending money, a reasonable amount to buy things that they want. And that is what I tell them. I will pay for stuff they need, they can pay for what they want.

My husband would like to tie it directly to chores. My experience with that is then, chores don't get done and you end up giving them money for stuff anyway. Instead, we have chores that everyone helps with because they are part of the family, and everyone shares in the family resources including the cash. It seems respectful to me, my husband doesn't tell me that I can't buy myself a new book because I am behind on the laundry, you know? But we also don't have unlimited funds, I know I can't buy all the books I want each month. Giving the kids an allowance I think helps to teach them to live within our means and eventually theirs.

We also have a list of jobs that can be done for extra cash, and they are open to anyone who wants them. Sometimes I pay the neighbor kids to wash my car while my daughter watches.

:

The 4 yo also receives an allowance, at least that is what we call it when I reach in my wallet for some change when he wants a snack from the machine at the YMCA. He is thrilled to have an allowance but has no concept at all about budgeting his cash, so I don't really give him a set amount.

 

[orangefoot]

I give my ds1 £5 per week of the £14 I get from the state for him. Every child in the country gets money per week regardless of their parent's income its called child benefit.

This is a recent decision and mainly based on the fact that he is now going out to town with his friends or to the leisure centre to hang out or swim and I felt I was constantly giving him money for those times as well as buying books, PS2 games and other more expensive items that I can't find second hand or in charity shops!

So far he has spent the whole £5 every week although I told him at the start that if he wants new games or books or stuff just for himself he will have to save for them from that money and any he gets for birthdays. He is still in the rush of having his own money and is spending it on snacks, cakes and ice-creams which I usually refuse to buy if we are out (it gets expensive with 3 of them).

He knows the value of money and we are very open with our children about what we can and cannot afford. Ds1 is looking forward to being able to earn money from some work and friends are waiting for him to be old enough to babysit as he is very popular with thier little people and sensible to boot!

Mmm I've rambled but does that help any?

 

[TwinMom]

My older kids get $5/week but I pay them once a month, so it's usually $20/month except for the months that have 5 Saturdays it's $25. Does that make sense? :LOL

They do chores around the house, but the chores are not tied to the allowance.

 

[Alkenny]

Mine get $3 per week...not much, but just enough to motivate them. Their's IS tied to chores as they don't buy into the whole "we're a family unit, we all contribute" thing.

 

[TiredX2]

Does anyone give their teens enough money to "live" on? (ie lunches, clothing, school supplies, etc...) Or is allowance for the people here still just "fun" money?

 

[Alkenny]

I buy everything like lunches, clothes, school supplies etc...their allowance is for extra things they want to buy at the store or school. It gives them limits on "junk" without cutting it out completely and giving them the opportunity to make choices.

By junk, I mean an occasional candybar, erasers, cheapo necklaces from the dollar store, etc. My daughter is worse at spending it on "trinkets" whereas my son will save up $75 easily for a DVD set he wants.

 

[myhoneyswife]

I don't do allowances yet (good topic!) but I was just thinking about it, and I plan on giving them allowances just like dh and I take out, only maybe 10/month for them. I wouldn't tie it to chores, because when I was 11 and started babysitting, I found that it was much more fun to babysit than do the chores at my parents house. What worked quite effectively for me was them "charging" me for not doing my chores :LOL Didn't empty the dish washer before school? My mom would either pay my brother $1 from my allowance to do it, or just keep it to herself. Paying my brother was much more effective in motivating me to do my own chores, though :LOL

 

[SagMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiredX2 Does anyone give their teens enough money to "live" on? (ie lunches, clothing, school supplies, etc...) Or is allowance for the people here still just "fun" money?

My kids don't "live" on their money--not their allowances and not what they earn. We do a lot of talking as a family about expenses and how we'll spend our money and the kids have a say in things. Their activities, lessons, camp, clothes, food, etc. etc. all come out of the family's budget. They use their money as they please--sometimes just for fun, sometimes they save it, or buy gifts for others, sometimes they do buy clothing or meals, but it's their choice.

 

[BelovedK]

STBX and i don't agree on this topic as he thinks it should be tied to chores and being 'paid' for what you do, I think it is a tool for learning to manage $$ and i wouldn't attatch it to a job..

DS does nothing around the house though , and i don't see a gentle way of getting him to. STBX has almost won me over to his side . I get a little resentful handing over $ to a chilld who talks back like he does and refuses to help around the house.
Sometimes when he is in a good phase (we think he may be bipolar or something~~has major issues), he will help out if it is merely suggested, he will be very helpfull. If he is in a bad part of his cycle then he just is impossible to even talk to let alone ask to help in anything...so i guess i'm making my own point that it should not be attatched to 'jobs' bc of his changeable nature...thats just us though

Blessings
~K~

 

[Ruthla]

My 9 and 10yos get $5 a week.

They don't have to do chores to "earn" their allowance, but certain chores are expected as part of family living, with natural consequences for not doing them. For example, if they don't put their laundry away, they have trouble finding their clothes. If they don't help me clear the table, they don't have a clean table to eat on or they have to wait longer to eat while I clean it.

 

[LizD]

My 11yo has been getting $5 a week for a while. But even when she was getting $3 a week, years ago, $1 per week had to be put towards "charity money." Once a year she donates that $52 to a charity of her choice, like sponsoring an orangutan or something like that. We are thinking of going to $6 because she is getting more interested in buying little doodads and clothes, and poking about the mall with a friend. She is a voracious reader and buys a lot of books.

She is a real miser! She saves for things and divides her money up into all kinds of sections. When she had pet rats she put away some money every week for their food, litter and other things.

Allowance is not tied to chores. Having the money herself means she gets some experience budgeting and making sound choices: do I really want this (overpriced) item from hottopic, or do I want to get what I'm saving for sooner? It also induces her to ask if something is a good price or if she should look elsewhere. It's not tied to chores because she is a member of the family and just as I have money (though I don't get an allowance lol) I can use without asking anyone so does she.

I do give her opportunities to "earn" some money also; watching her little brother for an hour so I can get something done he would interfere with, or one time she spent an afternoon with a friend picking up every pine cone in the yard so we could weed and such. Dh gave them each $5 and a pizza dinner for that.

Chores, both regular and "do this now" types, are expected as a member of the family too. I don't like many regular chores because then asking for something else can bring on the "it's not my job" attitude when she's simply expected to be helpful. At the same time a few regular things like feeding the cats helps her learn some responsibility and tolerance for the drudgery of everyday life.

 

[umbrella]

We don't tie allowance to chores in our house.

To me, that sets up an attitude regarding chores that I don't want---optional. I'm not paying the kids to do a job. When you have a job, you have the option to not do it, and deal with the consequence of not getting paid.

But chores are simply a part of family life, period. We ALL have to work to take care of our home, simple as that.

The allowance is because I also think a little spending money, is good and nice for kids, in many ways.

 

[umbrella]

Quote:

Does anyone give their teens enough money to "live" on? (ie lunches, clothing, school supplies, etc...) Or is allowance for the people here still just "fun" money?

I don't think either way is necessarily better than the other.

I had a friend who seemed to have a HUGE allowance, but then I learned that she "lived" on it. That was where school fees, lunches, clothes, and spending money came from. It was good in a lot of ways, imo.

I'm currently in the "spending money only" camp, but am not opposed to changing my tune. I liked the standard the my parents had for some things. Like, they'll provide a certain quality of shoes, or jacket, etc. If you want the latest and hotest fad shoes or jacket, then you will have to fork over the difference between what they would have paid for their standard, and how much the fancy kind costs.

 

[FrizZ]

My girls are 4 and 11. I do give them allowance, and it is tied directly to both chores and expected behavior. They do buy into the cooperative family unit idea, and as mom & dad both have a little spending money, so should they. We work for our "extra money" so so do they.

We have a certain amount ($1 a week for DD 4yo, and $2 for DD 11yo) that is given to them every week. If they misbehave in some way (that is not normal for their age, such as forgetting to turn out a light<-normal), or neglect their regular chores (clean up your messes, brush your teeth, etc.), they loose a bit of their allowance. They do chores for added money as well. Things that they are not expected to do (getting the mail, doing laundry, etc.) They get a sticker on their chore sheet. At the end of the week, we add up their stickers (25 is the number for doing all of their regular chores) and they get 5cents for every sticker over the 25. This DOES mean that if they forget a chore, they can make up for it by doing a few extra things, and it teaches them that "As long as it all gets done, I don't care who does it" Like I always tell them, and enforces the cooperative feeling in our household.

 

[scrappingmom]

We do allowance, well, sort of.. kind of long but i'll try to explain.

The kids were always begging for things and money(becoming very materialistic due to our ex's trying to buy their love) we are struggling ATM and always having to say, we dont have money, which confuses them since we deal 95% in cash so they know we "have(physicly) money. We tried explaining we have to pay bills, buy food etc. which they complained about and didnt bother listening(these all once being very reasonable understanding children until ex's decided to make life miserable) Finally I said, ok, we will set aside $400 for each of you, just like an adult you will have to work to earn your "paycheck" and you will have to pay your portion of the bills, buying food etc. What is left at the end of the month is yours to spend. They all have chores, homework, and i tossed in doing their share to keep family harmony( a couple thought it would be funny to ruin the others chores so they wouldn't get their spending money

: ) the money is... on paper.. put in an "account" for them, at the end of the month I add up how they did on chores, HW etc, adding any bonuses for extra chores or going out of their way to help around the house, they get their bill (ATM.. 1/6 of the bills of the house) they then "pay" us from their "account" and what is left is for them to spend. Now if they dont do chores, refuse to do HW, make life miserable for the family, they lose some of their "pay", just like if you went to work and didnt do your job, so they CAN(one did) end up without enough money in the "account". most of them very quickly looked at it and went, wow, we had $400, we had to pay just part of what you have to pay and now we only have $x left over... so thats why you say you dont have money because you have to use it all to pay those things first!

I know some of you are going, hey thats a neat idea and some are saying, how can you be so harsh. Trust me.. many things were tried! I try to make everything a learning experiance and PERSONALLY feel like "just giving" the money, they just come to expect it and MAY not appreciate or think about the use of it as much as if they have to "work for it"(even if it IS just chores they would be expected to do anyway).

With what i have set up, each child can earn up to $30 a month for spending WITHOUT doing any extras. With 5 children in home ATM even THAT is a large expense! We've only done this 2 months, although i've done mini versions with "my" children before but they were much younger and 50 cents a week was rich back then

lol. So far we've ranged from paying $14 to one ... to being OWED $72 by one, she is scrambling this month trying to figure out how to "pay it back" .. we havent figured out if we may use it for her, by FAARRR the most materialistic, and make it be pay back of extra work, cash and possessions.. thats still in the works and she is doing better this month so maybe it made a different point to her???

sorry got a little OT.. ish. I think that allowance, like many things is a personal/family situation thing. Would you like there to be a lesson with it or just a means to give the child money, do you want them buying specific things.... ie, you'd buy them the $12 jeans but they want the $50 ones, so you pay $12 and let them pay the rest from their allowance money,or is it to buy candy and trinkets, how old is the child, certainly a 15 yr old would "need" more than a 2 yr old, things like that.

I gave my 2 yr old .25 cents a week, when we'd go shoping.. believe it or not by explaining it would take 3 of those to buy a car he wanted, he opted to keep the quarters until he had 3 to buy himself the car .. even thru the great temptation of the gumball machine outside

That was a very proud day for THIS mommy

he is 8 now and still has the car and occasionally talks about saving the money to buy it

 

[johub]

This is a really difficult subject for me.
My dd is 13 and I want her to have spending money.
I also think she should be expected to do a certain amount of chores and help and clean up after herself.
I do not like the idea of "paying her "for her chores because chores are a responsibility that comes along with living with our family.
And having money is a benefit that comes along with living with our family.
However when it comes down to it. If she wants the benefits she has to have the responsibility too.
So then I end up "paying her" for chores even though that is not my intention. DOes that make any sense?
My dd is very unmotivated to do chores. It is a constant struggle
I told her a few weeks ago that I wanted to give her allowance and I didnt want to tie it to her chores but I also wanted her chores done.
She suggested that she really has no choice about the chores period and it really has nothign to do with her allowance.
But unless I just stand there and act like an drill sargent, the chores dont get done.
UGH!!!
And then there is the "advance" on the allowance. if I give her her allowance on Friday before she does any chores it is almost a guarantee that nothign will get done. Even though she acknowledges that the chores are fair and she really should do them etc. . .
Anyway, she is 13 and her allowance is $10 a week. But I generally give her $20 all at once and it includes her lunch money.

Joline