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There are some really good reasons to give your kids an allowance, no matter how small it may be. If you’re going to start paying them on a regular basis, there are a few ground rules you want to lay down, for your own sanity and to ensure you’re raising good kids.
Get Something for Your Money
The society we live in often teaches people that it’s okay to get something for nothing, whether
it’s fame, likes, charity, or whatever else. Why not raise children who expect to work for what they get? You can do that at an early age by establishing an allowance that’s based on merit, performance, and accomplishment. In other words, you only give your children allowance if they are keeping up with their assigned tasks, doing their chores, following the rules, and behaving themselves. That doesn’t mean you require perfect children, but you do expect them to do something to earn the money rather than just give them a handout every week or every month.
Establish Real Expectations
If you’ve decided that your kids should be working for their allowance, then you need to let them know exactly what it takes to earn that money. If they aren’t sure what they have to do, how hard they have to work, or what their behavior needs to be, they will be very frustrated, as will you. If you clearly outline what you expect from them, even writing it down so they can refer back to it, you’ll make things easier for all of you. You can limit how much they earn based on their attitude and behavior, even if they have done their chores. This can help to encourage a good attitude and demonstrate that employers will be looking for more than just productivity.
Don’t Only Use Allowance as Reward
It’s important to teach your children that money isn’t everything. Make sure that if they are doing well, you’re complimenting them. Of course, it’s good to find ways to compliment them even when they are struggling to have good behavior. If they are keeping up with their chores well, you don’t have to feel tempted to pay them extra just for doing what’s expected of them, but you can show your appreciation in other ways. You can give them a break from the chores and hire a maid service on call or you could take them for an outing to the park or the mall. You could buy their favorite foods and let them know that you bought that to show them appreciation.
Give Them a Chance to Earn More
If you want your kids to excel and you want to inspire them to prove themselves, you can use an allowance to do that. Let your kids know that if they go above and beyond, they can earn more. You could create a list of bonus chores for them to do that would allow them to increase their allowance as well. This can teach them that if they are exceptional, they will be rewarded for it.
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