Allowance?

As I mentioned yesterday. we do not give our kids an allowance. Not yet anyways. My husband and I each get an allowance our of my husband's paycheck. It allows us the freedom to enjoy things we want to that are not in the budget (like going bowling or out to eat). As the children get older, I suspect we might start including them in this allowance. It will not be based on work (heaven knows mine is not - I need to go and clean after this!) :D But most likely based on age. It is nice to have a little spending money. And if the kids want more, well.....

What do we do for our kids to be able to have some spending money? Two things.

(1) We have a list of extra jobs around the house that need to get done. These are jobs that are really Mommy's and Daddy's responsibility (like cleaning the garage, mowing the lawn, weeding, etc.) that the kids could do in addition to their other acts of service (i.e. chores, but I prefer to call them acts of service).

Now of course they have to have what they are responsible for done FIRST. Their clothes, their bed, their act of service and their zone. The acts of service are things they need to learn to do for themselves (like laundry, cooking, cleaning, sweeping, mopping, etc.). These switch around depending on the age of the child. SOMETIMES the act of service is teaching the younger child how to do their new act of service (in it's being passed down). :D

...AND...

(2) We also encourage our girls to make things to sell.

AA is knitting scarves (very easy). MM is finger knitting headbands (more like ties) - they can also be used as belts (if that gives you and idea of how long they are. EE has made some crocheted mice (they look like balls with tails, but she calls them mice and they would make GREAT cat toys!).

Now I agree, my daughters have an unfair advantage. What mom can pass by a child's booth or stand and NOT buy something!?! Especially when they child is young (I guess mom's don't have the same sympathetic heart for older children as for younger ones). BUT, if you have a good product at a good price and of a good quality - it will sell. :)

What I do is have my daughters sit on a blanket in the living room and do handiwork while I read to them. It reminds me of a time when Pa Ingalls might be telling a story and Ma is rocking in the rocking chair working on her crochet, Laura would be knitting some mittens for a Christmas present for Carrie, and Mary would be working on some mending.

We want our daughters to learn where money comes from (that it doesn't just appear, but it takes hard work) and how to be responsible with money. It is amazing to see how much more my children respect something when they buy it themselves. We have learned this the hard way. We bought way too many things for our children as they were growing up. Most of it, sadly, has just be given away to Goodwill. I have sold SOME in garage sales, but most of it was junk to begin with, and that kind of stuff doesn't go at garage sales.

They are also learning the value of saving. I LOVE Dave Ramsey's children's books. I have all the ones that came in the Chick-Fil-A kids meals a while back. I bought most of them at garage sales. The kids LOVE them (which reminds me, I should get them out and read them again, it has been a few months - LOTS going on over here). AA is saving up for stuff she needs when she buys a house (she keeps saving like this and I have no doubt that her and her husband will be paying cash for a house)!

Life is just really good. :D You may not agree with anything I have said the past two days, but this is what works for us. And we are pretty happy with it! And the kids are too. :D