Kids and Chores: To Pay or Not To Pay?

Do you pay your kids to do chores? Kids cost enough! I was paid an allowance as a kids but I do not pay one to my kids. My brother and I went so far as to make signs and go on strike to demand higher wages (and it worked). So how can today’s families decide to pay or not to pay? (1)Some have household help who already get paid to help out, (2)some expect the kids to pitch in or live in a pig sty, (3)some pay for virtually no help, and still others (4)pay kids who do real chores around the house. There are positive and negative aspects to paying kids for doing things some believe they should do for free.

Pros: Good Reasons to Pay Kids for Chores

• Kids do stuff, get paid, learn a life lesson, have opportunities to save, etc. Sounds like win, win now and later.
• Actual chores equals actual cash ($1 per week for me and Randy until the strike, when we went up to $5 a week!). Hey, it was like 1986. You’re saying, duh, real chores, real pay, but I am saying it doesn’t need to break your bank.
• Real household tasks get done, like dishes (wash, dry, put away), dusting, sweeping and vacuuming, scooping dog poop and stacking wood, plus folding laundry and helping bring in groceries. Who doesn’t want help with those things?
• Keeping our rooms clean was expected and part of our chores. We were earning that buck!

My kids do keep their rooms clean (barely) and help with groceries and feeding the animals. Beyond that, they don’t do much, yet. I’m talking about my five and eight year olds, who are with me full-time. The older kids vary in what chores they do, since one is married and on her own (I know, that’s crazy!), two are required to do chores at their boarding school (yeah MHS!), and the other does minimal chores to avoid an argument after school (scenario three above, paid for minimal).

Cons: Why Parents Shouldn’t Pay

• Many parents get their kids just about whatever they want, so kids have no real need or desire for cash unless they want to go get candy or a toy. While I don’t think I buy my kids a bunch of junk (in fact, they have relatively few toys compare to other kids we know), I do provide my kids everything they need and plenty of extras too.
• Like we did as kids, the minute they have a dollar, they want to spend it, usually on garbage like toys that will break by that evening or candy that will rot their teeth.
• Kids’ savings can barely add up these days (which can also teach a valuable lesson).
• Kids rarely maintain consistency unless prompted by nagging parents, chore charts or threats of non-payment.
• Kids should help with household chores to enjoy living in a clean house, not expect to get paid for basics they won’t get paid for in the real world, like doing their own laundry and cleaning up after themselves.
• Many families are strapped and can barely pay the bills. It doesn’t make sense to pay the kids when you can’t pay for food, electric or heat. Essentials come first.

Whichever camp you’re in, it’s okay. Kids will grow up and learn to manage money whether or not they earned an allowance as kids. Financial education is important, though, and may or may not begin with handling small amounts of money as a child. Often, real money skills are learned in adolescence when teens get their first job and are able to save more than pocket change. As for my kids, for now, if they want money, they will have to do something significant and make it a routine, not just once. Either that or they can keep scratching their grandfather’s back for $1 for five minutes! Not bad, considering he lets them quit early and still pays. For now, we’ll save our pocket change in their piggie banks and add up their little savings accounts for them. Soon enough, they will want real money of their own and we will have to teach them responsible money-management. No matter what you decide, happy savings!