Do you pay your children to do chores?

Sophia - posted on 09/21/2012

NO BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A FIGHT. HOWEVER HE KEPT THE SAME SUMMER JOB FROM AGE 16 UNITL NOW .... DONT ASK COMES HOME FROM COLLEGE AND WORK LIKE A DOG BUT COULD NOT REMEMBER TO DO HIS CHORES AT HOME. DONT UNDERSTAND HE EVEN HAVE STARTED TO LOOK FOR A JOB TO DO HE WILL BE HOME IN DEC. FROM SCHOOL. MOMMY I AM ON LINE TRYING TO GET A JOB FOR DEC .. UNTIL I LEAVE AGAIN IN JAN. FOR SCHOOL.

Michelle - posted on 04/19/2012

my kids favorite summer chore is cleaning our deck and side walks...we fill a bunch of balloons from the dollars store with water stand on the area we want cleaned and have water ballonn fights eveerything gets clean and we have some good family time.

Kim - posted on 04/19/2012

no not really. our 15 yr old has had chores around the house since he was about 5 or so but none that he got paid for, just part of being part of the family/household. However, that said, last summer, we began giving our (then 14 yr old) son, $100/mo to spend the way he wants to, but he has to pay for his own clothes, his own shoes, any $$ to do anything fun with friends, pay for his own deodorant, shampoo, shaving stuff, etc. & if he asks for $$ for something that he hasn't budgeted for (& not school related) then he can sell us his xbox, etc for $20-30 but can buy it back for $50. LOL Yeah, he's learning!!! But he is learning what is most important to him & what is not. ;)

Jen - posted on 04/17/2012

how old are your children? I have my 9 year old son help with emptying the recycle bin and he takes out the garbage. He also helps unload the dishwasher

Sherri - posted on 04/17/2012

They may not have asked to be part of the family unit but that doesn't change the fact that they are. Hence they must pull their own weight and sorry but I ask nicely the first time, if they don't help, I can guarantee I am not asking nicely the 2nd time and really it is not optional. If I ask for help it is because I need it right then and there. There are far too many of us in this house for me to do it all, if they so decide they don't want to help....basically TOUGH. I don't think sooo get your butt up and do it.

TealRose - posted on 04/17/2012

I am 57 and never paid money for chores. And then I never gave my children CHORES. I don't EXPECT my husband to do chores, I ASK him to help and I asked my children in the same way. It's a huge difference being asked to help rather than being 'made to do chores' ...

I think making a 'chore chart' is a hard thing for children. They should be helping not forced to do things that doesn't help them want to help because it's a good thing to do - it pushes them away.

As for them 'being part of the family therefore YOU will help' well exactly WHO made them part of the family? Certainly not them! Be respectful with your children, and ask for help ... and you will be surprised just how much you get if you explain as to WHY you need help !

Sylvia - posted on 06/26/2010

LOL! No, of course not. If you're part of the family, you help out around the house.

Not that any of us are that dedicated to the housework... :P

Sherri - posted on 06/26/2010

NO WAY you are part of this family and every family member must pull there weight. I am not paying you for doing what you need to, to contribute to the family unit. Clean room, empty trash, wash windows, water flowers, wash floor, clean room, clean bathroom, feed and let out animals, clean and put away dishes just to name a few.

Ma - posted on 06/26/2010

My son gets a requirement free allowance but he is expected to tithe and save from it before he gets to spend it. He is also expected to do chores but without pay. The cleaning that I do is listed on a chart with a certain dollar amount by each item and if he wants extra beyond his chores he can do those. It works quite well. On his own initiative he also started saving for a house (he's 9 !) and contributes to our savings for vacations.

Darcy - posted on 06/23/2010

I have a list of chores for my kids IF theydo them as asked without complaining then I give them alittle something for "Job well done" But I should not be expected to get paid it should be the results of doing the job well

Karen - posted on 06/22/2010

This is a tricky one because I agree that kids should contribute to the home as a member of the family. But I also want to start teaching my 5 y.o. SD the value of a dollar! I've heard of paying not an allowance, but "commission." They have the chores they have to do anyway (tasks, like someone said) but then if they want to earn extra money then they can earn "commission" for other chores above and beyond their regular stuff. I haven't tried it yet but it seems like it makes sense.

Amanda - posted on 06/22/2010

i dont pay my children for "chores" but my children earn there alowence of 25cents a day they have a sticker chart where there are 3 time slots wake up to lunch lunch to supper and supper to bed they have to do everything asked of them including chores as well as behave play nice clean up after themselves to earn the sticker for the time slot if the do so they get the sticker 3 stickers in a day means they get the 25 cents if theres no stickers in a day they owe me 25 cents we just started it this summer and it seems to be working very well so far our children are 4 8 and 9 i think we will have to bump the money up sooner or later but its working for there behavier and for our budget :)

Nancy - posted on 06/16/2010

I don't pay my kids either no way. I have a 10 year old and he is responsible for doing the dishes daily (which consists of unloading and loading the dishwasher how tough is that), keeping his room picked up and then each week he is also responsible for folding, hanging and putting away his own laundry. I also have a 5 year old and he is responsible for keeping his room picked up daily, and after I do laundry I have him put away his own clothes. Also I have my 5 year old help pick up the living room. Good Luck because if you start paying your kids to do "Chores" then they will except to be paid all the time. I don't get paid for housework nor does my husband when he does it so I don't believe that kids should get paid either.

Mellanie - posted on 06/16/2010

In our house there is a difference between chores and tasks. A task is something that needs to be done on a daily basis to keep the house in order (i.e. dishes, laundry, picking up toys, clean bedroom) and my 6 year old son does not get paid for those. A chore is something that helps relieve my daily duties as MOM (i.e. feeding the dog, poop scooping, garbage bins to the curb, vegetable picking) and those he does get paid for. In life I don't get "paid" to clean my house or have clean dishes nor should he get the idea that if he does the dishes he'll get money. Good luck.

Angelica - posted on 06/16/2010

I don't pay mine to do chores, but if they want something special they can do extra chores to earn it. They normaly clean their rooms, wash their own dishes, take out trash and fold the laundry and sweep or vacume. They do it all without a fight because if they don't I wont wash laundry, cook or clean lol. If they want a new toy, or new clothing they don't actually need, they can earn the $ to buy it by raking, moping, helping with the rest of the dishes, washing walls and counter faces, or whatever else i can think of that is reasonably with in their capabilities. they get 25 to 50 cents per extra chore depending on how fast they did it and how well. Since I started this they sometimes ask to do the extra chores without asking for the change, they just want to help :)

Karen - posted on 06/15/2010

No I don't pay mine either. I tell them all the time that they SHOULD help out because they live here too. I only use the word should because they are 6, 5, and 3 right now. I don't want it to sound like I'm pushing it on them cus when I push something they won't do it. Should lets them think about it, when they do it they feel better about themselves since it was something they decided to do and they get praise for it. To back myself up, I make them clean their room. Again, by only using should, and i take a moment to explain that Daddy goes to work everyday to buy us what we need, Mommy cleans the whole entire house (including their toys, dishes, clothes ect) from the living room on. So, the least they can do is clean their room. I say "you think it's hard to clean your room. But there are 3 of you and it doesn't take you long. i am one person and have to do ALL the cleaning of the rest of the house by myself and I don't complain. i just do it, get it done, and then I'm happy and feel good about what i got done." they do clean their room most of the time, but when they don't, i just let it messy. When they can't find something, step on something and break it, or whatever situation occurs I remind them that if they had cleaned their room that wouldn't have happend. And that that is why Mommy and Daddy keep our room clean so it doesn't happen to us. My kids love to wash the shower/bathtub out, the fridge (especially on hot days. We have no ac), wiping off tables, putting clothes away after i fold them (they loved using their dump trucks for that and it also made them feel important when they knew where me and my hubbys clothes go), helping with dishes (rinsing or prewashing before you), vaccuming....And most of all any chore can be fun if you put some music on and dance through doing it when you r little.

Chrissie - posted on 06/15/2010

I do not pay my son to do his chores. They are his responsibility, his "job" so to speak. I do, however, pay him to do extras, such as helping me with yard work and taking out the trash with Daddy on Sundays.

Crystal - posted on 06/15/2010

No way! Well, my kids are young (4 and 2), but I would never pay them to do chores, even as they get older. My kids love helping me with laundry, and I just taught my 4 year old son how to wash dishes. :) They both like to help, they don't think of them as chores just yet. If your kids are older, then nothing to do with the word "chore" is going to be fun. lol I would say have them do the "easier" things like folding laundry and putting it away, washing non-breakable dishes (unless old enough to know how), cleaning windows (maybe with a water gun??), helping wash cars, watering plants/flowers outside? Good luck!

Angie - posted on 06/15/2010

Yes, they get food, shelter, and clothing for payment - LOL. I don't believe in paying children participating in daily family life.