Homework Allowance: Pocket Money Earned or Given?

It’s an old parenting question, but one that still causes a lot of debate: should you give your child pocket money/allowance to do chores?

The best answer I can give you is “sometimes”.

An obvious reason to link the two is to foster a work ethic. Giving pocket money for household chores teaches a simple lesson: if you do the work, you get paid. If not, you don’t. For example, children in the UK can only accept a part-time job at the age of 13 (except for certain “performance” related jobs), pocket money provides a good way to teach this lesson to a early age.

But wait a minute… shouldn’t your kids help out with the chores anyway? A key part of being a family is working as a team and recognizing each other’s hard work. Giving money for housework runs the risk of creating a selfish and entitlement attitude, and also risks hearing comments like: ‘So you want me to carry my school bag upstairs? How much are you going to pay me for that? Also consider what happens if a child decides they don’t mind receiving pocket money in a particular week. Does that mean they can get away with not doing their homework?

You can immediately see the pitfalls with the system. So what is the best way to overcome them?

Each family probably has a slightly different approach, but one of the best systems I’ve found is to pay your child a base amount of pocket money, which is not related to housework. This basic amount will teach them vital decisions about money and saving, whether to save their money to get something they really want, or to spend it right away for instant (but often fleeting) gratification. Meanwhile, children should be asked to do basic chores around the house, but may be given the opportunity to earn additional ‘rewards’ by completing tasks that are beyond their usual scope. Cleaning the car, for example, is a chore many parents agree they’d like to reward their children for taking on. This reward can be monetary, but it can also take other forms. A good option that we found is a system of stickers. Every time your child goes above and beyond what is expected of him, he is allowed to place a sticker on her chart, and once he has reached an agreed number, he is allowed to receive a prize. This could take a variety of forms: perhaps a special purchase you both agree on, or possibly a special trip. The advantage of this system is that the rewards are flexible and can be varied according to the preferences of each child.

Of course, no matter what pocket money system you use, it’s almost inevitable that your kids will complain about their homework at some point. But if you talk to them about the system, explain why it’s fair, and above all keep it consistent, you should find that these cases become much less common.