Little Laborers

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men… Colossians 3:23

The observance of Labor Day this week got me thinking about work—specifically kid work. The type and amount of work kids do around the house, as well as their compensation for it, are hot topics with moms. In fact, when I speak to moms groups, I get more questions about allowance than any other topic. And I don’t even give a formal talk on the subject!

I think chores are a grey area in parenting because we all have different opinions on what jobs are appropriate at what age. For instance, I have a friend whose seven-year-old is responsible for vacuuming out their car. That works for their family, but because I know how much trouble I have maneuvering that fat hose into all of the tiny nooks of my SUV, I don’t ask my seven-year-old to do it.

Another cause for the variation in chores is the fact that each child has different abilities. My five-year-old, for example, has a very short attention span. Trying to get her to clean her entire room in one sitting is an exercise in futility. However, her ability to focus lasts about the same amount of time as is required to clean a bathroom sink, making that the perfect job for her.

There is nothing that says your kids have to do certain chores at specific ages. There is also nothing that requires them to do the same jobs your neighbor’s kids do. You, as their mother, know what they can handle.

The next area of concern is how to pay kids for their work, if you pay them at all. I hear a lot of “experts” saying that kids should just work because they are part of the family and each member needs to contribute. I agree with that to a point. However, the benefits of an allowance are just too great to ignore.

In my family (recognize that I am not saying this is how you should do it), the kids have specific tasks they do in order to receive an allowance. They also help in additional ways because they are contributing members of our family. Both of my kids earn $2.50 per week if they do all of their allowance jobs every day. Allowance jobs include things like putting their shoes away, keeping their rooms tidy (at a level reasonable for their ages), making sure the dog has food and water, and cleaning their bathroom sink. If they do all of their jobs, they get all of their money. If they miss something, they miss their allowance until the following week.

Additionally, I will periodically say, “Okay kids, I’m doing the bag tonight!” This means they need to get all of their odds and ends picked up from around the main living area of the house before going to bed. Anything left out after bedtime goes into “The Bag” and they must buy each item back for $.25 at the end of the week. I pay my kids their allowance in quarters so they can buy back the socks that are left under the dining room table and the movie boxes that sit next to the DVD player. Everything must be purchased and then put away or added to the Goodwill pile. If someone needs something before the end of the week (like the time my daughter left her gymnastics leotard sitting out) it may be purchased early for $.50. Deciding to leave something in the bag rather than buying it back is not a choice.

This system works great for us because it really motivates to kids to keep things picked up and it helps add value to their allowance.

In addition to their allowance jobs, the kids also help clear the table after meals, help sort laundry, dust furniture, or do whatever else I ask them to help with. They are generally happy to help because they enjoy being part of family activity and my husband and I strive to show them work in a positive light. We never use added chores, or yucky ones, as punishment.

Even though it gets tiring and mundane, I consider the ability to do work to be a blessing. I am fortunate to be physically able to take care of my home, and I hope my children will grow to see it positively as well. And while no one likes cleaning toilets or taking out the trash, the house sure feels nice once it is done.

Tell us how you make job-sharing and allowance work in your family.