Parents can choose to require children to do household chores, offer an allowance independent of chores, or pay children for completing chores. Paying for chores can incentivize children, but some argue that it is unequal and may lead to dependence on rewards. It depends on the child and situation.
There is much controversy over whether to pay children for household chores, whether to require children to do household chores, or whether to offer an allowance that is independent of household chores. Parents have a variety of options to choose from when considering this matter. There are a few things to consider in requiring children to do chores; you don’t do it just because you want to be “bad”. You typically do this because not only do the children need help as part of the family unit, but they also need to learn to do basic household chores so they are able to keep the house clean and tidy when setting up their own homes .
But should you pay the kids for chores? Some argue that the payment offers an incentive to keep children doing household chores. Instead of arguing whether the dog was fed or the dishes washed, you have a monetary means of proving that chores are valuable and that work is often rewarded with money. When the chores aren’t completed, you can simply point to a checklist of required chores, or simply declare to the kids that they haven’t worked and therefore haven’t earned their money.
Money can be a powerful incentive, especially for kids who don’t get everything they ask for and kids old enough to appreciate both the value of earning and the fun of shopping. Paying for small chores for very young children may not be as effective. However, if you pay the kids for chores, especially if they’re around five or older, they will usually understand and understand the correlation between work and pay, and the idea that work has its rewards.
If you’d rather not institute regular chores and don’t offer the kids an allowance, you can pay the kids for chores by paying for work. This allows children to earn an allowance if they wish. Simply create a list of housework, with a standard rate for each job. It’s a great idea to set aside some money so that children associate doing a job with almost immediate payoff, which can keep them motivated. The chore-pay method works very well when children are not receiving allowances, because they won’t have cash ready on hand to spend on luxuries they otherwise wouldn’t be able to obtain.
Some parents adamantly refute that you should pay children for chores. The reasoning here is that the family operates as a unit and each family member should contribute (depending on age and ability) to running the family. They may offer the children an allowance or not, but they feel that household chores are everyone’s responsibility and shouldn’t be compensated. Furthermore, this argument argues that paying children for household chores is unequal, since parents regularly have to do chores to keep the household going and are not paid for it. Additionally, children may become dependent on a reward system to complete household chores and thus will not learn how to be responsible in their own homes when this reward is no longer in effect.
It really depends though. As some childcare experts point out, giving kids money gives you something to take away in case of bad behavior. So if you pay the kids for chores, you also have the option to fine them if you have to do their chores or just not pay for them. Some children seem truly unable to do chores without a reward system in place, and making chores positive through a pay system or other reward system allows children to generate positive feelings about chores in general. The pay per chore method can further teach children that harder work usually comes with greater reward.
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