A lot of parents pay their children to help around the house. Some others believe that kids should help out without getting paid as they are part of the family and household. Some parents give kids an allowance (pocket money) each month. Others let kids have some money as and when they want to buy something and if they have no undue demands. So, what’s the right thing to do with kids and payments? It’s quite tricky to answer. But there are no rights or wrongs in choosing to pay or not to pay.
Whatever you choose to do, we all have to remember that in the real world, no one gets paid to make beds, clean your own rooms, run errands or do any housework. Having said this, it’s also important for kids to understand that apart from being responsible for themselves and their belongings, they need to be aware that there are things in the world to be done, for which you get paid for. Like their skills, abilities or capabilities that will help them make a living.
So, in the best interest of both worlds, it’s ideal have a mix of both paid and unpaid chores around the house. But how do you differentiate? Well, there are many ways. If a toddler brings in a grocery bag from the car to the kitchen, she can be paid a penny for her piggy bank. But the same task done by a teen needn’t be paid. At the same time, a teen who helps look after a sibling for an entire weekend, while you get some off-time, can be paid for the hours she put in. Older kids can clean their cars, but if they help clean yours, then you can think about paying them. So, you can choose based on their age and abilities. A 7-year-old cleaning his room, may not merit anything, but him running errands may make me loosen my pockets.
Kids need to have not just the ability to learn and earn, but also to spend and save. So apart from just providing the money or paying for chores, parents also need to guide them on what and how they can spend their money. Do you want to spend all your money right away? Or would you like to save some up for later? Again, at that age, there are no rights or wrongs, but it’s necessary to create the awareness. I could spend all my allowance on this pretty dress right now, or buy my own laptop in 2 months. And that decision making ability regarding earnings and spending, will help them for life.