"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." - La Rochefoucauld

Tuesday, December 21, 2010



Household Chores/Allowance

Anyone have some good tips on chores/allowance?? I had this one parent when I was teaching that did this amazing allowance program for her kids. I remember that she read some book about the wonderful lessons that come from instituting an allowance. I don't remember what age she recommended to start the program but she made it very clear that a child should not get an allowance for chores... Her big thing was that chores are required and every family member needs to contribute to the household. You should not pay your kids for chores. That was her take. I like the idea of not paying them to clean their room, do the dishes, etc. She gave them so much money every week and they had to put a certain amount in long term savings, short term savings and for donations. If the kids wanted a toy, they had to pay for it. My four year old twins are probably too young for such an extensive program but I was wondering if anyone had some good tips on how they orchestrate chores in their household? What type of responsibilities do your toddlers/kids have around the house? The kids love to do certain chores, like setting the table (as seen above) but picking up their toys is a battle everyday. I sometimes feel like a broken record. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. :)

PS) Any tips on getting a "spiderman crazed" four year old to wear something other then his spiderman pjs, underwear and socks? God help me...he is obsessed!!!!!!!

2 comments:

Kara said...

I reward all 3 kids with "reward coins". If they display responsible, respectful, and safe behavior...I randomly give them a coin in their jar. This positive reinforcement has done wonders in my household. They don't expect anything in return...they just LOVE getting a penny and putting it in a jar. They know they did something great and should continue with the behavior/actions. For example, if they help put up the dishes and I don't have to ask for help, then I will randomly give them a coin. If they help someone pick up their toys then I will let them put a coin in their jar. Another option is buttons. I had their daycare start something similar and they do buttons using all different shapes. The kids LOVE picking out a particular shape/color and placing it in their jar. It is a constant reminder with all the great behaviors for the day.

I like this approach for chores as well. I am sure their will come a time when I will have to alter this approach for chores, but I haven't decided what the next step will be. (I am open to ideas :) )

Learning As I Go Blog said...

That sounds great!! Thanks for sharing, Kara! :)