I over-estimated the girls' ability to budget money, though, and I have been giving them allowance once a month. I know... that is even hard for an adult to manage... and then recently, I was again feeling overwhelmed by work and home keeping (as Jesse calls it), and I decided to put down my foot and say, "If you aren't pitching in, I'm not paying!"
I created a situation where a teenager is perpetually crabby about not having any money and I'm coughing up dough here and there for her to do things for her friends because she really HAS NO MONEY! ...so she is NOT forced to make decisions about money!
On Monday, I went to lunch with the ladies who did the grant-writing workshop with me and the subject of kids pitching in at home and allowances came up. I started brainstorming and thought of a new plan...
I created a "menu" of chores and what each was worth: empty the dishwasher for 50¢, fold a basket of clothes for 75¢... each girl will attach her menu to the fridge, do chores, have a parent initial for it, and get paid for it on Friday!
My house hasn't been this clean in WEEKS! They are FIGHTING over who gets to take out the trash and who gets to fold the clothes!
McKenna scoffed at the amounts they would get paid for each... until she was unloading the dishwasher, complaining about a measly 50¢, and when she finished, I told her, "you spent five whole minutes doing that... which is $10 per hour... get over yourself!" She is done complaining.
The three rules are listed at the bottom of the menu:
1. To get paid for a chore, you need to do it well, without parental pestering, and then show a parent to sign off on it. If it's done well, you will get paid for it.I am a genius.
2. From time to time, you will be asked to do one of the chores - RIGHT THEN - when it needs to be done. If you do it the first time you are asked and you do it well, you will get paid; if you have to be reminded multiple times, or pestered about it in any other way, you will still need to do it, but you won't be paid for it.
3. Payday is on Friday.
6 comments:
I always knew that ...
I am currently on my knees, bowing to you.
Brilliant.
We've been trying to work out how we're going to handle more serious chores/money for the almost-8 year old, and just handing out money doesn't appeal to either of us. We've been thinking of a job board where the jobs are listed and if you are motivated to do the work, you can earn the money. I think I will incorporate what you're doing with quality control into the plan!
p.s. the word verification was poognog. Sounds like a subversive drink at the North Pole, eh?
You are a genius! I've been looking for a system beyond star charts to get them to pitch in. I am on my knees bowing down to you. Thank you! Now I have another project for this weekend.
You say she makes $10 a hour? The dress she wants me to make her should be worth well over a hundred bucks. Wonder if I should ask McK to pay me for making it? Nah... (O:
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