Do you pay your kids?

[Gary Fowler]

I grew up on a farm and all the labor was done by us kids. We didn't get paid for it other than food on the table and clothes and shoes on our bodies. If we finished our farm chores, we could work for others and keep all the money we made. I started driving tractors before I was old enough to go to school and by 14 or so, I was working for neighbors after school and all summer driving tractors for $1 per hour (no overtime pay) and I could make close to $100 per week because we ran from about 530 am to 9 or 10 pm most of the time. I could get in 6-7 hours after school most days. That was quite a bit of money back then and working 15 hour days, it didn't get spent when I was working so I usually had spending money all year.
My parents didn't have a lot of money, most farmers didn't make much more than a meager living, but it taught me how to work hard and to save my money for hard times that were almost sure to occur. When I got married and on my own, I saved minimum of 10% of my gross wages no matter what and it went into the company 401K where it stayed till I retired.
I think giving kids a big allowance for doing their family chores is a bad thing to do. It teaches them that they should always get money for doing nothing. When they think that way (like a heck of a lot of folks do now days) then they seem to think that someone owes them a living for doing nothing. It really depresses me to see how many of todays workers don't save one nickel of their wages for retirement or even for an emergency like getting laid off their job. They live for today and to he!! with tomorrow. It is going to be much harder for the generations coming after the baby boomers to have a great life and kids need to learn responsible money management early. They also need to do something to earn an allowance, something besides contributing to family society work.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I almost forgot, wife and I raised 5 kids and we never gave them an allowance. We bought them what we felt that they needed, they did their homework, got praised for good grades but no money. We would sometimes treat them to a movie or something for doing excellent work in school but never did we pay them for achieving what we considered normal grades for each of them. Some were A+ students, others were B and C students but they all did their best and they always helped each other.
They all are productive workers with very good living now. I think they spoil their own children a bit trying to give them all the latest technology and fashion which they didn't get during their childhood. I don't know if the grandchildren are going to fit into their future work force. They are all good kids and so far non have any discipline problems which is good.

 

[tcreeley]

I grew up on a small dairy farm, chores were chores. My stepfather told me at one point during the summer, that if I was always there to help out with what needed doing, when he had some money, he'd give me a few dollars for it. Seemed to work out to every couple of weeks I'd get something through the summer. My older brother wanted to get a summer job and was told he could, if he contributed summer earnings to pay for his replacement's wages. This was back when the guy who worked year round for us got a dollar an hour and room and board. Another guy, mentally challenged got 15 dollars a week and room and board. It was a different time and place than it is today.
Today every kid thinks he is going to be part of a "cooperative team" and work for wallstreet.
The kids I see working the hardest and independently, are the one's who get their license early.

 

[SPIKER]

...
The kids I see working the hardest and independently, are the one's who get their license early.

I agree that is why I suggested he get a 2nd hand riding mower to get her on that mowing, teaches good driving skills and for a couple hundred bucks it will be cheap training vs price of a car. Paying her a few bucks to mow is cheap and teaches work for $ and let her buy what she wants. Even getting her to open a bank account to save part of what she earns. Not sure of where they live if she could maybe make a few bucks from neighbors or not. I did it with a push mower or snow shovel from age 9 up & we spent what we earned on what we wanted, mom was poor and was lucky to provide roof & often we had to ask for gov cheese or church handouts. By teenager I was working part time on dairy farm & Fresh raw Milk was one of the perks!!! An despite what the FDA says I never ended up sick from drinking it just like billions of people prior to the FDA mandates.

Mark

 

[mikehaugen]

I do have access to an old cub 105. It's sitting at my mom's and she said I could have it anytime if I wanted it. This definitely crossed my mind while I was thinking this over yesterday. It's hydro and only 10hp, I think perfect for a 12yo.

I mow with a 71"bunton 3 wheeler and think it would be too much for her to handle.

Thanks for all the thoughts guys. More than likely she will be mowing next year... haven't decided on the payment thing yet. I think depending on how it's presented and handled, a small payment could be beneficial or not.

 

[kenmac]

my only son left at home is a full time college student. I told him early on that if he studied and made good grades , he wouldn't have to get a real job. When he can, he helps out with the business, cuts grass, etc, and I pay him for this.

 

[Citydude]

They will get paid when I kick the bucket!

 

[Cat_Driver]

Never put a 12 year old on a piece of machinery. Don't give that ...when I was a kid BS, or they need to do it sooner or later BS, or it helps them in the real world BS. Machinery and equipment is made for MATURE ADULTS. Yes I know kids all over the world as young as 4 years old drive front end loaders, but that does not make it any safer for a C-H-I-L-D.

Yes people rode around all day with no seat belts too, and got killed y the millions, safer today with seat belts.

Now for the "payment". Kids should get a certain amount of "duties" that are part of helping the house, clean room, dishes, picking up etc. After that I think they should get some money. Money is a freeing think for a kid, it something they earned and something they can do as they wish with.

I remember my Mom would give my brother and I $1.00 to buy any toy we felt like buying. ( That's when $1.00 could still buy you a toy) I can still remember 50 years later how great I felt and how much that dollar meant to me. I learned to weigh the pros and cons from toy to toy, the value of a dollar, how far I could stretch that dollar, maybe I could buy two smaller toys for that dollar or one big toy. I bet it took me an hour to decide which was the best way to spend that dollar, and most of all IT WAS ALL MY DECISION.

I get parents buy kids what they need and that's it, but the real life lesson is letting them earn and spend as they wish.

I teach my daughter to negotiate. I hate when she does it with me but I want her to question EVERY PRICE both in buying, selling and wages. I'll say I'll give you $2.00 to wash the car because that's what I'd give the car wash, she says nope I want $6.00, because I'm saving you time and fuel. I come back with $4.00 and back an forth we go. Sometimes I win sometimes she wins, sometimes neither of us wins or loses. It's all about her need fro funds. Other times she'll come to be and say, what will you pay me to do this or that and the negotiations begin. I usually get a better deal if she's saving for some clothes or a concert.

I've been doing this with her since she was five not she's 18 and she one heck of a negotiator.

So you can see how by "paying" your child you can give them something they will never ever learn in any school they ever attend and will save or make them thousands over a life time. Paying them creatively will be the greatest gift you can give them.

The days of " I worked on a farm and I had to get up at 5am and blah blah blah" Those days are LONG GONE. Besides everything you own id theirs anyway one you kick off so playing games by NOT giving kids money is ludicrous.

 

[Citydude]

Never put a 12 year old on a piece of machinery. Don't give that ...when I was a kid BS, or they need to do it sooner or later BS, or it helps them in the real world BS. Machinery and equipment is made for MATURE ADULTS. Yes I know kids all over the world as young as 4 years old drive front end loaders, but that does not make it any safer for a C-H-I-L-D. Yes people rode around all day with no seat belts too, and got killed y the millions, safer today with seat belts. Now for the "payment". Kids should get a certain amount of "duties" that are part of helping the house, clean room, dishes, picking up etc. After that I think they should get some money. Money is a freeing think for a kid, it something they earned and something they can do as they wish with. I remember my Mom would give my brother and I $1.00 to buy any toy we felt like buying. ( That's when $1.00 could still buy you a toy) I can still remember 50 years later how great I felt and how much that dollar meant to me. I learned to weigh the pros and cons from toy to toy, the value of a dollar, how far I could stretch that dollar, maybe I could buy two smaller toys for that dollar or one big toy. I bet it took me an hour to decide which was the best way to spend that dollar, and most of all IT WAS ALL MY DECISION. I get parents buy kids what they need and that's it, but the real life lesson is letting them earn and spend as they wish. I teach my daughter to negotiate. I hate when she does it with me but I want her to question EVERY PRICE both in buying, selling and wages. I'll say I'll give you $2.00 to wash the car because that's what I'd give the car wash, she says nope I want $6.00, because I'm saving you time and fuel. I come back with $4.00 and back an forth we go. Sometimes I win sometimes she wins, sometimes neither of us wins or loses. It's all about her need fro funds. Other times she'll come to be and say, what will you pay me to do this or that and the negotiations begin. I usually get a better deal if she's saving for some clothes or a concert. I've been doing this with her since she was five not she's 18 and she one heck of a negotiator. So you can see how by "paying" your child you can give them something they will never ever learn in any school they ever attend and will save or make them thousands over a life time. Paying them creatively will be the greatest gift you can give them. The days of " I worked on a farm and I had to get up at 5am and blah blah blah" Those days are LONG GONE. Besides everything you own id theirs anyway one you kick off so playing games by NOT giving kids money is ludicrous.

Just have to ask, were you raised in a city?

 

[fordmantpw]

We give our kids an allowance. We give $1/week per year of age. So, my 11 year old gets $11/week. However, half of that MUST go in savings. The rest of it is theirs to spend as they see fit. Our poor 5 year old never has any money because you just can't buy much on $10/month. Our son, who is 9, is constantly sharing his funds with his little sister and is always buying her things when he can. Our thoughts on this are that is serves several purposes:

• It teaches them to save. They are not allowed to spend the savings as it must be saved for an emergency. This will be part of their 'college fund.'
• We never have to hear 'will you buy me this?' We don't buy them anything at the store. They have to spring for it themselves with their own money. If they can't afford it, they don't get it. We have loaned them money before to see how interest works.
• They learn about charity and helping others with their money.

Our kids also have chores that they have to do, but they are not necessarily paid for their chores. However, we have withheld allowance for poor performance on getting chores done in the past. We have explained the reasoning behind withholding allowance, and our oldest really gets it. The other two are coming along, albeit slowly.