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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Is A Fair Amount?
daycare 02:24 PM 09-19-2012
My just turned 5 year old has really been showing a huge interest in chores and money. He has also helping in the DC a lot lately, it is the cutest thing ever.

He helps the littles wash their hands and sets up the tables and chair for me. Today he even helped the littles get their shoes on.

Right now he is unloading the dishwasher with me. He has been wanting to do more and more all of the time.

He does have to take out the trash daily, which he is not compensated for, but I feel that he is really trying to make an effort to earn an allowance like his older siblings.

If I were to set up a chore chart for him, what do you feel would be a fair amount to pay a 5 year old?
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Country Kids 02:27 PM 09-19-2012
My kids are paid their ages but once they turn 13, I bump it up to $15 and then when they are 16 they get $20.
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Blackcat31 02:28 PM 09-19-2012
Rather than pay him, why not reward him for his hard work with a special activity or outing with the parent of his choice?

I am anti-allowance for chores but think kids should be able to earn things within the family structure/unit.
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daycare 02:35 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Rather than pay him, why not reward him for his hard work with a special activity or outing with the parent of his choice?

I am anti-allowance for chores but think kids should be able to earn things within the family structure/unit.
honestly, I dont know what more activities he could do. After daycare ends each day I go on what I call my rabbit chase. He rides his bike and I chase him like a rabbit for about an hour.

The other issue is that I have two kids way older than him that have me all over this great earth every day and weekend, so I don't really have anymore time to do any activities. AND if I do plan activity for just him then everyone else gets mad that he gets to go to XYZ, they don't want to do things he does and now no one else gets to go anywhere.

Just last weekend, I drove DD to the dance, DS to golf and little guy to Play land. I was about to pass out on saturday and sunday was worse.

i won't pay you for the chores that you are required to do as part of this family, but if you go above and beyond the call of duty I will compensate you.
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daycare 02:35 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
My kids are paid their ages but once they turn 13, I bump it up to $15 and then when they are 16 they get $20.
sorry if I sound stupid, but is that a week??
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Country Kids 02:37 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
sorry if I sound stupid, but is that a week??
No thats for the month.
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daycare 02:38 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
No thats for the month.
OMG I must be stupid......

I give my kids about 200 amonth each and they blow through that like hot cakes
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Michael 02:41 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
My kids are paid their ages but once they turn 13, I bump it up to $15 and then when they are 16 they get $20.
Sound tight for teen but for a 5 year old I think just the idea of getting something is a reward.

Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Rather than pay him, why not reward him for his hard work with a special activity or outing with the parent of his choice?

I am anti-allowance for chores but think kids should be able to earn things within the family structure/unit.
Agree with this. Maybe there is a game or toy that he enjoys playing. Award more time.
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Country Kids 02:41 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
OMG I must be stupid......

I give my kids about 200 amonth each and they blow through that like hot cakes
Are you serious-. Wow! We budget about $200 per child for school clothes and they usually get nothing more till May/June and then get summer clothes.

We will give them money occasionally for something special but they usually use their allowance money.

My one son earns about $60-$80 a month on his paper route and some mowing lawns but not near $200.

I'm definetly not letting my kids know what you do as they will be packing up and moving in with you.
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daycare 02:42 PM 09-19-2012
ok before you cyber smack me you do have to realize where I live...

the cost of everything here is nuts

just this past friday we all went to the HS football game. It cost $8 to park and each kid was $7. So it was $21 for hubs, son and I to get in, little guy was free and since my dd cheers she was free too. If you wanted a snack, kiss another 10-15 good-bye.....


after the game, the football team and cheer went to pizza place, so that was another 10 bucks each...

so adding it up, just friday night, I spent about $65.00 for my whole family to go to a HS football game and I thought that I got away cheap.....
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Country Kids 02:48 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
ok before you cyber smack me you do have to realize where I live...

the cost of everything here is nuts

just this past friday we all went to the HS football game. It cost $8 to park and each kid was $7. So it was $21 for hubs, son and I to get in, little guy was free and since my dd cheers she was free too. If you wanted a snack, kiss another 10-15 good-bye.....


after the game, the football team and cheer went to pizza place, so that was another 10 bucks each...

so adding it up, just friday night, I spent about $65.00 for my whole family to go to a HS football game and I thought that I got away cheap.....
OH, believe you me-I know about those games. We buy season tickets for about $250 and parking is free. Tickets are $10 per person!

We usually eat something out that night but at fast food so try to keep it at $20. I pack drinks and snacks so we don't buy things at the game.

We won't be going to basketball this year though-. We always bought season passes as my daughter cheered so we were able to. Now that she's graduated we can't and I think it would be like $30 dollars twice a week! We may go to a few but not many and I really like basketball.
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Blackcat31 02:50 PM 09-19-2012
Here is an article about allowances that might help you out

http://hffo.cuna.org/12433/article/107/html
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Country Kids 02:50 PM 09-19-2012
I went ahead and asked my daughter if she would like $200 a month-she would like your address. I will buy the bus ticket you take it from there!
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daycare 02:55 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Here is an article about allowances that might help you out

http://hffo.cuna.org/12433/article/107/html
great article!! thank you for that........
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daycare 02:56 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I went ahead and asked my daughter if she would like $200 a month-she would like your address. I will buy the bus ticket you take it from there!
lol....sure I'll take her.....being that she is your child I am sure she is a sweet angle...'

she would see how dysfunctional we all are and beg to take the next flight right back home...lol
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Tags:allowances, chores, paying kids
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