tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post7317807489247846228..comments2024-03-15T23:39:29.134-08:00Comments on Scribbit | Motherhood in Alaska: Should Children Have Allowances?Scribbithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-1193709490251024062009-11-14T22:52:48.187-09:002009-11-14T22:52:48.187-09:00Our children must EARN their allowance, no freebie...Our children must EARN their allowance, no freebies!! As a single parent that was *less* than good with money throughout my youth, teaching children about money is CRUCIAL, in my mind. I’m not going to blame parents, schools, etc, but quite simply, I clearly “didn’t get it”, and I am still paying for those mistakes a decade later! And quite frankly, I hate the position I got myself in, everytime I pay off my past debts… I could have used my time/money sooooo much better.Teaching children about money!http://www.kidswealth.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-17137633115246151512009-08-27T04:16:37.582-08:002009-08-27T04:16:37.582-08:00I am rethinking my allowance philosoophy...and I c...I am rethinking my allowance philosoophy...and I couldn't even get through all the comments.<br /><br />My girls get $1 for every year monthly. This month, we were so broke, we took the aprox. combined$30 and used it for ALL of their back to school shopping. <br /><br />We got shirts at the thrift store, used the old backpacks, lunch boxes and stuff we had around the house. They only had to buy a few other supplies, and lucky for us they all fit into their old tennis shoes.<br /><br />I think that this kind of frugality was more of a lesson to them than anything. Hopefully in the future they will really appreciate anything new.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11971378715777007757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-48756798777283815102009-08-26T21:39:01.996-08:002009-08-26T21:39:01.996-08:00We have done an allowance for a simple reason that...We have done an allowance for a simple reason that I am through with buying my children clothing, shoes, socks, underwear etc. Their allowance is a clothing allowance, which is not very high. They end up having to look for bargains and spend when they NEED things, instead of every week WANTING things. It's amazing that when we started this, our kids were not fond of handmedowns and garage sale clothing. But now they like them. Just a twist on a basic concept.Jena Webberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17385358595707452914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-75674007965725260382009-08-26T21:35:44.842-08:002009-08-26T21:35:44.842-08:00Your husband was wrong about the allowances. We d...Your husband was wrong about the allowances. We did give them small allowances (about $5/month)until they got old enough to earn money. It did, however, come with responsibility. When they wanted small things, they had to dip into their personal funds. It reduced the annoyance factor. I'll bet Andrew will remember when you ask him about the "Mad Bag" which held items that had not been put away such as shoes, clothes, toys which they had to redeem with dimes from their allowance. Ouch!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-50830177001691954882009-08-26T10:45:55.520-08:002009-08-26T10:45:55.520-08:00Mmmm AMEN!! I've actually been nearly yelled a...Mmmm AMEN!! I've actually been nearly yelled at for trying to explain what you've just said... to close friends! You've explained it very well. <br />It made me laugh when I read Janelle's comment because I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the post. :)<br />Today is the first time I've come across your blog and I've already read a lot and liked a lot... You've got some great information... I'll be back!Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04668905763270952541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-83496093172529119662009-08-25T21:07:24.927-08:002009-08-25T21:07:24.927-08:00Reading your post, and the comments (OK, some, the...Reading your post, and the comments (OK, some, there are 36 ahead of me), I come out seeing that there are a lot of different ways of dealing with this, as with so many things. We all have our reasons, but to think someone else's reason is going to produce a child who cannot handle money or whatever is limited. There are many paths to money management.<br /><br />But your arguments for your way are darned good, and you make your point well.Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00653383372182667361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-61096634607888343262009-08-25T12:26:11.659-08:002009-08-25T12:26:11.659-08:00Excellent post, Michelle.
I especially liked this...Excellent post, Michelle.<br /><br />I especially liked this part: "I won't pay my children for doing things that are expected of them as members of our family. No one pays me to do the laundry or make dinner but I do it because it's my job and I do it out of love--the best kind of motivation."<br /><br />Our girls are still very young, but - at this point - I don't think we will give them "allowances." The reasons that you mentioned here make perfect sense to me and my husband & I have had many similar conversations.<br /><br />stephanie@metropolitanmama.netStephaniehttp://metropolitanmama.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-1329684750326842412009-08-25T09:00:47.450-08:002009-08-25T09:00:47.450-08:00Michelle, I don't know if you are in my window...Michelle, I don't know if you are in my window box sometimes but I find that hard to believe since you are all the way across the continent. My family just had their big End Of Summer family meeting. We do this twice a year. Once just after Christmas and once just before school goes back. My boys are 16,13, and 8. Chores are not chores in our house they are "family responsibilities" everyone helps out and the youngest is starting into the weekly rotation of dishes come next week.<br /><br />My husband and I both work and I have a part time job tutoring as well. My children know that this is necessary for the bills to get paid. They don't ask for allowances, they never have. We have the same way to make money as your family but these are one the MONEY BOARD. It is a wipe board in the kitchen with the tougher jobs that need to be done, like clean the attic. We tend to have the MONEY BOARD items be higher valued then a dollar or so to allow them the opportunity to raise money for things like the iPod or skateboard. But these jobs take time too.<br /><br />Kudos to you!MaeRaenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-32908544461695913462009-08-24T20:42:46.569-08:002009-08-24T20:42:46.569-08:00We do things similarly around here. No allowances...We do things similarly around here. No allowances, no paying them for earning good report cards (ugh! that one kills me)and we don't fork over tuition for college, either. The Oldest is actually making money by going to college because he earned scholarhip money over and above what's needed for a full course load and books. THAT alone has motivated the next one to buckle down even harder in high school! Will we contribute to college expenses for a child who's otherwise worked hard to earn scholarships and financial aid? Sure! But we don't feel that we owe them all four years of college out of our pocket. :) We have retirement to consider!<br /><br />Our oldest is on his own now financially, except for the roof over his head and the food I put on our table. He buys his own gas, auto insurance, school supplies, clothing, cell phone, and entertainment. The other three...well...they're usually penniless! But they know how to earn it when they want something. It's working well for us.The Sourcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01445281088837499229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-16872303095879998042009-08-24T20:10:30.422-08:002009-08-24T20:10:30.422-08:00The timing on this article was just perfect for me...The timing on this article was just perfect for me. Just last night my 14-year-old son had started begging us to reinstitute an allowance and my husband and I just couldn't really decide where we stood on the issue. Your thoughts and ideas perfectly encapsulated many of my own and helped me to be able to articulate them better to my husband. Thank you!Larahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09051780765300427426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-73280474137938451582009-08-24T15:43:27.792-08:002009-08-24T15:43:27.792-08:00Gail--what a touching story! You're right, the...Gail--what a touching story! You're right, the lesson behind the spikes is so much more important. Reminds me of a family story about how my grandmother sewed Barbie clothes for her daughter's friends to sell to earn enough money to bring my dad back from college at Christmas.Scribbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-82219613618967657842009-08-24T13:57:53.650-08:002009-08-24T13:57:53.650-08:00Our family has the same allowance rules as Scribbi...Our family has the same allowance rules as Scribbit. <br /><br />If my kids were going to a theme park with others, I would not give them an abundance of money. I have taken kids before to a theme park, who had $40 (or more!) for the day, and the day ends up being about blowing the cash instead of having fun with the group. Frustrating!<br /><br />One of my biggest lessons about money was not about allowance, but love. I was running track as a freshman and I had nice running shoes, but for races, spikes worked a lot better. We talked about it as a family and decided to wait to buy another pair of shoes. However, without my knowing it, my dad gave up a cup of coffee a day (back when coffee was 50 cents or so), and saved the money and surprised me with a pair of spikes! Dad never said a word about how he bought them, Mom told me.<br /><br />We had money growing up. The shoes were not that expensive. But the sacrifice and love meant the world to me. I wore the spikes every year through high school and still have them in a box!<br /><br />That example was worth any allowance!gailhttp://www.dooleysinpng.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-42537826687021862712009-08-24T13:28:16.498-08:002009-08-24T13:28:16.498-08:00Thank you for saying what I have always wanted to ...Thank you for saying what I have always wanted to say on this subject. I didn't get allowances and I don't plan on giving them.<br /><br />This is why reward charts for good toddler/preschool behavior have always bothered me as well... You should just do what you should do, not because you get a reward for it.Anjalihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942336985162828835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-10946442080829069312009-08-24T13:21:21.224-08:002009-08-24T13:21:21.224-08:00We give our kids an allowance - it is not tied to ...We give our kids an allowance - it is not tied to anything. There are certain jobs they do around the house - but they do it b/c they are part of the family.<br /><br />We are in the group that gives $ to teach them to manage it. Perhaps when they are old enough to make money some other way (part-time job?) we'd no longer give it to them - not there yet - so don't know.<br /><br />Dad (who happens to be a CPA and a financial advisor) gives them interest on the amount of money they have left at the end of the month. The money they receive is to buy a) junk food or eat out if not parent's idea b) toys, special activities (if their idea and they really want to do it - including paying a portion of the yearly family swim pass or joining a club)...c) purchase presents for family members d) big ticket items like a laptop or ??? (all spending is still with parental approval - though since it is their money and they are generally careful with it - we'll allow the purchase unless it is totally crazy and then we'll work with them to figure out if it's really the wisest choice...dd wanted a certain pet & she was willing to pay all costs associated with it - when she did research and figured out the costs for the year - we saw it would be way too much money. We guided her towards a more reasonably priced pet.)<br /><br />Some parents already pay for all of the above - so we are paying for it but in a way that we believe will teach them to spend (or save) their money wisely. We have told them the $ they have is not something for them to tell others about or brag about. It took the boy a lot longer to understand interest and the benefit he gains by not frittering his money but now that he understands he is a lot more careful.Edihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01881967873653190545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-76216445916966238452009-08-24T13:08:11.782-08:002009-08-24T13:08:11.782-08:00Finally, someone that thinks like me! (or a lot no...Finally, someone that thinks like me! (or a lot now that I read all the comments!) I did grow up with an allowance only if all chores were done. But the difference is my parents had the money to do it. We do not. So we have adopted the philosophy years ago that if you want to live here free, you do your share. Thanks for this Michelle! :)Chelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04590696973253007816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-37587417635577816602009-08-24T11:45:42.090-08:002009-08-24T11:45:42.090-08:00You philosophy sounds almost exactly like the one ...You philosophy sounds almost exactly like the one my mom took with us, and the one I will take with my children. Whenever one of my siblings or I would ask for allowance for chores she would tell us "when the money fairy comes and pays me for cleaning my house, Ill kick a little money your way".<br />I did encounter a lady at work the other day who had a pretty neat idea about her kids money; her daughter, probably about 12,had broken her phone and was looking at what it was going to cost her to buy another one. She has a college savings account that her mom puts money in and the daughter is allowed to borrow from, but has to pay back with interest before she is allowed to borrow again. So this girl had a pen and paper and was figuring out not only the phone price, but the interest she would have to pay back, just like a real loan. I thought this was a really clever idea and even though I wont do allowance, this I might consider.Hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865063967548654216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-26844108706561674272009-08-24T11:12:21.921-08:002009-08-24T11:12:21.921-08:00My girls (6,5,3 years)have their normal everyday c...My girls (6,5,3 years)have their normal everyday chores... but usually one to two times a week we do a mass cleaning and laundry put away that they help a lot with. For that I give 'chore store' dollars ($1 for the DAY). These are fake dollars that they can save for the 'chore store' I go to the dollar section and buy little things and then charge them $1-5 for the item. About once a month we break out the chore store and they owe me $1 for tithing and can choose to spend or save the rest. <br /><br />This works well, teaching them to save money, etc. My oldest said she would prefer real money to shop with - so I told her, okay, you know the dinner you're eating (we happened to be at Burger King). That cost $5! What you earned the WHOLE MONTH! She quickly chose to stick with the chore store dollars.<br /><br />And of course I buy all their clothes, etc. When they want something special, we make them wait for Christmas or Birthdays.Aletahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12247472661122865609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-10382451804660814952009-08-24T10:36:37.048-08:002009-08-24T10:36:37.048-08:00great perspective. thanks!great perspective. thanks!John and Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02237207810959661060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-28855614986706397632009-08-24T10:29:53.741-08:002009-08-24T10:29:53.741-08:00Yes, it was you--I had the email that I'd save...Yes, it was you--I had the email that I'd saved but not the address or URL, just the text of the question and the name April. I'm afraid I couldn't remember which of the several Aprils I know but I thought I'd guessed wisely there. Oops :)Scribbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-40684741905882133582009-08-24T10:28:10.678-08:002009-08-24T10:28:10.678-08:00Oh, so it was just me? I just thought it was an in...Oh, so it was just me? I just thought it was an incredible coincidence! I don't care if she gets the credit. :)April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-75595776467950291402009-08-24T10:06:45.004-08:002009-08-24T10:06:45.004-08:00ACK! Sorry April--I couldn't remember which it...ACK! Sorry April--I couldn't remember which it was and emailed her to see if it was but never heard back. I took a gamble and lost :)Scribbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-76978102488227302912009-08-24T10:04:50.650-08:002009-08-24T10:04:50.650-08:00Wow, what are the chances that another April asked...Wow, what are the chances that another April asked you the same question I did after reading the helicopter post? That's amazing. :DApril Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-70891135506836027852009-08-24T09:46:29.060-08:002009-08-24T09:46:29.060-08:00Right now we have a chore chart for Jake for stuff...Right now we have a chore chart for Jake for stuff that he just has to do (make the bed, clear the dishwasher, etc.). If he does his chore, he gets a sticker. Then he has a tiered reward system for how many stickers he gets.<br /><br />On top of that, he has the opportunity to do 3 pay jobs a week. If he doesn't do them, he gets no money that week. If he does do them, we pay up at the end of the week...and show him how to divy up his monies between spending, saving, bank, and donate.<br /><br />So far, it's been working great.Thea @ It's Me Vs. Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13566816251688796061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-13647770897044674022009-08-24T09:44:07.856-08:002009-08-24T09:44:07.856-08:00We do not have allowance either. Although she does...We do not have allowance either. Although she does earn 50 cents for cleaning her room. It was the only way I could figure to get her to do it without fighting.chellehttp://soodz.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14194867.post-85951554742513876252009-08-24T09:18:28.719-08:002009-08-24T09:18:28.719-08:00Sheri--you cracked me up with that worry we'd ...Sheri--you cracked me up with that worry we'd think you were running a sweat shop :)<br /><br />I think it sounds great--I've done something similar with the boys. It took Spencer 2 summers of training to get to the point where he could do a good job mowing our grass but now he's out earning money on his own. He mowed three lawns on Saturday and was cheering as he stuffed the bills in his wallet.Scribbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.com