At some point in any household it comes up – paying an allowance. It might be some change for their piggy bank when they are really small or you might wait until they need spending money.
Do you tie the money to doing chores?
In our house, there is never a shortage of chores. And we are oh SO thankful that our kids can take on the tedious tasks such as emptying the dishwasher and taking out the trash.
At our house we pay the older children (ages 9 & 12) a set rate per week for allowance. This is their money that they can make decisions with. For example, if we choose to go see a movie as a family, they can spend their money on a treat.
We don’t pay them for chores because in my opinion, it is a family and community responsibility to contribute to your home. There are times there are extra opportunities for earning money and they might ask if they can do something extra, and I can usually find an extra chore for them if they are working to earn money for something special!
Personally, I prefer that everyone understands that they must do their share and not base it on getting something in return!