We have nothing set.

We used to get in a rhythm and keep a log on chores.
$1 for a load of dishes cleaned & put away ($.50 each)
$1 for a load of laundry, folded
$.25-.50 for other things

Sometimes they help with yard work... picking up hedge clippings for 3 bucks each, until done.

Like I said, we really don’t have a standard. They help around the house & we occasionally give them a spending limit when we are shopping; 10-15 dollars generally.

Some of their friends seem to get a lot... the best game systems, big $ for grades, expensive cell phones, etc...
Ours do OK at Christmas and B-days and that is usually it for big things.

Today was a pretty good payday for them.
My garage has been a nightmare that started last Christmas.
I told them (13&10 btw) if they gave me 3 solid hours cleaning the garage – they could each get a new Nintendo DS game ($35).

To put the garage into perspective, it was piles of misplaced junk on my work bench, my weight benches and the floor. Tools, cans, quarts, boxes and stuff everywhere. It started when I worked on my garage fridge and moved everything around to make space for it. And a few projects since... it was a mess.

I guess the price was right. We knocked it out.

It started with a quick rearrange & cleaning of the garden shed to make room for the stuff that belonged there. Then moving almost everything out of the garage to sweep & clean ... and putting everything back in just the right spot.

It was 4 hours total, w/about an 1 hours worth of breaks (hot garage, the attic fan blows in).
After everyone showered, I took the kids out to get their reward.

I think it would have taken me twice as long without help.
Actually, I have started to clean it a few times and became discouraged.
It was nice to have their help

So... $35 each for 3 hours work moving stuff around, picking trash up, sweeping, etc...
They worked their tails off, but am I crazy for giving that much?
Am I lazy for not doing it myself? (maybe I shouldn’t have asked that ..)

What do you guys think?
I guess I am curious about what other parents “pay”.

During school they get $5.00 a day to eat on.
I usually give them 10-15 bucks to mow the lawn.
I encourage them to do a proper job.
Son spends a lot of time doing community service with the Boy Scouts. One of the things he did was waiter at a couple of Knights of Columbus dinners. He dresses in a suit and help waits tables. The tips go to the churches youth ministry.

He kind of enjoys it, comes back and tells me stories of how some of the kids work and others just boss folks around. Kind of a lesson in life.

We never did the allowance thing... they were expected to do the basics, pick up their room, toys, help with the everyday stuff... that's what families do...

Whey they got older, say 12-16, they did the dishes, clothes, clean house etc, cause mom and dad worked! Hey, you wanna live here?.. Do IT! We did give them $$ for extra chores, but the day-to-day stuff they did it cause they had to. Period!

BTW, LL, you hiring out?

Pretty similar for us with the "basics" Nu.

Hiring out you ask?
They might jump on that - part of the reason I posted was because I can't believe I just paid them 10+ dollars an hour!

We never got directly paid to help my parents for chores or extra work but we helped them anyway.

When the time came and we had extra school activities, going out to the movies or wanted the latest trendy clothes we knew they would support us. I believe me and my sister today are better for it. A family is not a work environment and values shouldn't be taught the same.

The size of the reward is irrelevant as we all have different budget. Recompensing for extra work well done is important but shouldn't of been a contract a head of time. How this is handled is the only part that matters in my opinion.

I'm a tight arse! My 4 & 8yr old get a small allowance half of which they have to put in their savings account. For their allowance they have to do some basic chores like pick up, take out recycling, feed fish and they get extra for above and beyond work.

I constantly remind them that when I was their age I was sent up chimneys to clean them for no wage! They're not easily fooled though.

I found Babysitters got the most. Varied as they aged.

The are quite a few things that are expected of the boys - Clean rooms, take laundry up and down for mom, clear the table, garbage, amd unloading shopping bags.

To help them get a sense of finance when they want something special or I have a project I will see that they get paid for the efforts, ie landscaping projects.

Most recently the 2nd mate wanted a new guitar so I set up several jobs for him, the best was having him help with restoring the checkmate and then cleaning up the garage each night when we were done. I had a buddy helping, he got to see and use some tools, he saw that with a lot of effort you can accomplish your goals, and I got to just walk away from the work at the end of the day.

The 1st mate is paid to mow our lawn 1/4 acre each week $20.00 and now has the next door neighbor's as his 1st customer - He is looking to get a laptop soon.

Ah shoot that reminds me I have to get our girls out of their little cages in the basement for church......

Our 16 y/o has to keep her room clean . for free.
We used to have house cleaners come in and keep the house clean. My daughter asked to "You're Fired " and she will clean the house for the same money. So now she contracts her services to us and if something is not done, the paycheck is subject to deductions. She gets $100 per week unless she does more.

Mark

We've never had a set allowance rate. They have typically chores and if they wanted something special (new video game, toy, etc) we'd kinda look at last time they received something and go from there. For special trips, we'd give them extra spending money if they hadn't bought anything lately. I guess we basically "banked" their allowance until they wanted to spend it.

Daughter is now working on her own as a lifeguard at college. Its an indoor pool so it makes for a year-round job. The Durango she drives is paid for but we cover insurance and routine maintenance. She covers her spending money (movies, eating out, etc) and most of her own gas. We'll kick in some gas now and then if needed. She also still does chores around house.

This summer, my sisters and I are paying son to help my mom with her yard work and pool care. Her age/health is such she doesn't need to be doing it and we figured we might as well pay him as hiring work out.

I am currently trying to bribe ours a dollar for each time she goes on the potty...
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.she has yet to earn ANYTHING..

gawd !... that is my scheduled task for this weekend, cleaning out my garage,

once a little 'stuff' starts piling up in a garage it just don't quit,
i'm moving tools, motorcycles, stuff, ... out onto the driveway and then emptying all the parts-shelves WOW!
i got 10 adds going up on craigslist

my huge lament to anyone around here who will listen is that no neighborhood kids want to work for money anymore ($14/hr not good enough ?) and i don't have any forced laborers (kids)

LL, is there any other way of venting your attic fan then into the garage?
i'd sure worry about pumping that much heat or humidity onto tools and engines (?)

good luck with your project and fedEx me some of your cheap labor kids when your garage is done

We found that candy worked best - the Red Sweedish Fish - 1 for PeePee - 2 for Poop. I miss them being little - but sure don't envy the diper changes.

My 10 year old's standard allowance is $3/week. He does miscellaneous things, putting away laundry, keeping room clean, watching his brother for us, etc... It's used as a penalty for misbehavior, and that seems to work better than anything (i.e. it's easy to loose a dollar, hard to get it back).

For potty training, we buy the little guy a gift and put it on the fridge. For each use of the potty, he get's a penny in a shot glass. When the glass is full, he gets the gift and having it out is a constant source of motivation.

Worked with the older boy, working OK with the little guy.