Do you pay your child to do chores?
I guess I should first ask if you encourage your child, yes, even your 4 year old, to help/do certain chores around the house?
Little ones can do a bunch of stuff:
- Load the washing machine with Mama/Dad’s help
- Help lay the table
- Bring in the lighter bags filled with groceries after a shopping trip
- Wipe dusty tables, frames etc
- Pick fruit/veggies from the garden
- Take his/her soiled clothes to the laundry room after a bath
- Pick toys, books and games up, to clean up
While my 4 year old helps do this, we don’t pay him to do these chores.
Why?
Because we believe it’s important he understand that one does chores in a family, as a member in the same.
Now this is not to say that our kids are not given pocket money. They are, but this is in no way connected to chores done. The money is given to help them learn how to manage the finances given to them.
To read how we teach them to manage their finances, read Lessons With The Piggy Bank.
I’d love to know what you think…
Rachael says
I paid my daughter to do chores. She loved money, so she was more than happy to work for it.
Dawn says
I don’t pay my son to do his chores, however I give him a weekly allowance which he earns by doing his chores and keeping his grades in order. I know it sounds like splitting hairs, but I think there’s a big difference.
Marina says
I have a friend who does that too. She reduces her daughter’s allowance if her grades slip that week.Works well!
Courtney says
My daughter is too young for an allowance or for me to pay her to do chores. Right now, she just really loves helping mommy. When she’s older, I won’t pay her to do individual chores/jobs. I’ll give her a weekly allowance, which she will earn by doing the things that need to be done regarding our home and school work. That way, she’ll learn to earn what she has. Something I think a lot of kids are woefully lacking.
Marina says
Yes, I agree!! My 4 year old loves to help and I pray he continues to love helping just as much when he grows older too!
Pam says
We used to pay our children to do chores. It was how they earned their allowance!
Debra says
Yep, both our kids aged 7 and 4 1/2 have to do chores. They make their beds, help put away their own laundry, and help mom & dad take out the recycling or composting material. It’s important to teach them responsibility and to do their share!
Marina says
Yes! Yes! Yes!! 🙂
Carly Anderson says
This is definitely something I have been thinking about lately. I like your thoughts on this, though – children should understand that we all have “chores” in life that we need to do.
Mitch says
I haven’t done the allowance and chore thing yet. I am still trying to get my son to clean up after himself! And I should do an allowance and chore deal, I would probably save money!
kristin says
I don’t pay but I really should start with my oldest. Great tips here too!
Beth@KCMompreneurs says
We haven’t started a lot chores yet. They help set the table but that is pretty much it.
Kay Adeola says
Each of my kids gets a set amount each week which they then split between savings and getting a little treat,If they do not complete the chores they have they get a certain amount deducted from the weekly allowance and it seems to work well lol.
Marina says
Oh I like that!
Debbie Denny says
I usually gave an allowance and that included little chores to do each week.
Rosey says
My baby has a piggy bank, two of them actually, and he saves to get what he wants (he’s pretty good at being patient). I don’t pay him or his sister to do chores though. I like them thinking accountability here is a given (no money for it, just their part of being in the fam.). That being said, I did love my allowance when I was a kid. 😉
Tough Cookie Mommy says
We normally don’t pay our children to do chores but, once in awhile, we will reward them with a little money for doing something extra. I don’t want my sons to expect payment for doing chores that they are supposed to do all the time.
Everyday Living with Chrys says
Because kiddo is only with us a few days a week we don’t really give her a traditional allowance. She does have things that she has to do and she will sometimes go out of her way to be helpful. She loves fairies and we have gardens in the house for them. Often, the fairies will leaver her treasures and money when they feel shes done a good job. A few times a month when we feel she has gone out of her way to be helpful we will give her some money. Right now she is putting a lot of that money in our family savings bucket for the 52 Week Challenge we are doing. She really wants to go on a family vacation.
Marina says
What fun!! I love the idea of a 52 week challenge. Do you have more info on that on your blog? Would love to read more!
Jennifer Williams says
My youngest loves to clean so no, he does not get paid to do chores. My oldest is 17 and has been trying hard to find a job with no luck so we do pay him to do things so he can have money as it is a hard situation not getting a job.
Jaime says
My son is almost 3, and we don’t pay him for anything right now. He’s at an age that he wants to help as much as possible, so I’m introducing things like putting the cat’s food in her bowl (it’s dry, and if I get the cup out, he can do it.) Picking up his toys is also not a paid chore.
LifeAsAConvert says
Good question.. I do and don’t pay mine for chores. Certain things are expected of them as being a part of the family, but other things they do get paid for.
Nilsa says
I was never paid for doing chores. I didn’t even know what an allowance was until I entered middle school. I’m sticking to the way I was raised. I let my girls help me clean up around the house without making them feel forced to do something. If they ask to get paid to do a chore I would.
Heather says
I don’t know if I want to get into paying. I want my kids to have responsibilities without expecting something.
Theresa says
We don’t pay our kids for chores. We remind them that they are part if the family, and that means doing their part to keep things tidy. Plus, we give them money for things like skating and movies, so it all evens out in then end.
krystalskitsch says
I might use incentives when my son is older, but I don’t know if I will do it right off the bat. Thanks for the ideas though.
Christie says
We pay pennies for our son to make his bed. Working like a charm!
Lisa says
We give our children money once a fun for fun things they choose to spend it on. They are to help around the house just like everyone else and have specific chores assigned to them during the school year.
Anna says
We don’t pay the kids for regular chores. However, if they want to earn money we come up with extra things to do to earn it. So far it’s been my 5 year old learning new chores to earn money.
Nicole Ramage says
My kiddo LOVES Hot Wheels. He has hundreds of them, and he always wants more. He’s almost 4 and we just started giving him chores like putting his own clothes away, putting them in the dirty clothes basket, picking up toys, and we’ve been considering giving him separate chore options so that he can earn his “car money.”
Marina says
That’s a smart idea! Teaches him to save up for his own set of wheels later on in life 😉
Amber B says
We started our children at a very young age doing chores. Some weeks we give them money, some weeks we buy them a reward. It just depends on the time and budget situation. With 5 little ones it is not cheap to buy them something every week. So sometimes we go to the Dollar Tree and they can have their pick. To a child that is like gold. When we give them money we pay based on age and the type of chore they do. They love it and run to the piggy bank with the money. When we buy them a toy they run to the room to play with it. So either way it’s a win win for them.
Marina says
That definitely works. And yes, good ol’ Dollar Tree never fails!!
Helene Cohen Bludman says
We tried both ways. I don’t remember which one was more effective, though.
Tami says
If I had kids, I would give them a weekly allowance. However, that allowance will be conditional upon chores being done. So I guess…I would be paying them to do chores.
Amber Nelson says
I do give my daughter allowance for the laundry that she does. That is a great incentive for her.
Tonia says
I haven’t paid my kids to do chores, but I sure will. They’re really young right now.
Amanda Love - Growing Up Madison says
I don’t pay my kids to do chores and I never will. While they do get a weekly allowance they are expected to help out around the house but they are not getting paid to do that.
Brett says
We don’t normally give allowance. However, we’ll come up with a few extra if the kids are interested in earning money.
Dawn says
When my daughter got older, we started giving her allowance to do certain bigger chores around the house. Now, she has her own job, so she relies in herself for money!
April - My Bizarre Family says
I don’t pay my kids to do their chores, but if they do something that is not on their chore list (especially if I don’t have to ask), then I will reward them for it. I tried allowances before, but my kids didn’t want to stick to their chore list, so I removed it. If they get better at doing their chores without being told, then I may start allowances again.
Jennifer says
I dont pay the kids to do chores. Maybe when they are older (currently 10 and 4) but not now. I think they should want to help out around the house and make sure the house stays in order because I can’t (and shouldn’t have to) do it all.
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
My parents always paid us when we were kids, and I will probably do the same thing with my kiddos. I think it’s a great opportunity to teach about money and budgeting and how to work for the things you want, not go into debt for them!
Dina says
No they do not get paid to do chores. We all do chores as part of being in this family.
Mina Slater says
I don’t pay kiddo to do his chores simply because I want him to know about real life and I felt like I’d be tricking him by paying. I want him to tidy up his room and help around the house because it’s the right thing to do. He’s now a teenager. He realizes that when he’s an adult no one is going to pay him to clean his room, wash his clothes or mow his lawn.
April @ Everyday Fitness and Nutrition says
My girls are older now but we didn’t pay for chores. Doing chores is part of being part of a family and we all pitch in and help. Money was given to them to teach them how to budget, save, and spend money. We did offer extra money for chores that we considered above and beyond.
Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM says
I don’t believe in allowances. They have assigned responsibilities that are age appropriate and their reward is just the satisfaction of being a contribution and help to the household. I do pay them for “jobs” that are beyond their chores, especially when they have to do with my business. Great post!
April Smith Decheine says
I did pay my kids to do chores, heck yea!
Shannon Gosney says
I keep going back and forth on whether or not to pay the kids to do their chores. Thanks for sharing this great article.
Racquel says
I was never paid for doing chores and neither are my children but we do have a system where chores help earn privileges. Chores are expected regardless of rewards though and are typically things that teach our children responsibility of every day things.