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.
