If you are thinking about introducing chores to your children, it is best to start with the idea of contribution. Contribution is giving kids jobs throughout the day and expecting them to help just because they are part of the family. For two year olds, this may be helping find socks when you do laundry. For five year olds, this may be folding napkins and buttering rolls when you are making dinner. For a full description of contribution, please visit https://parentingbydrrene.com/2012/10/12/contribution-getting-kids-to-help/.
Once contribution is well established, you can introduce chores children do because they are part of the family. These are daily chores, and things they are capable of doing. For a three year old, this might be getting their clothes in the hamper. For a five year old, this might be carrying plates to the sink after dinner. When you start daily chores, it is helpful to introduce a chart for them to track their progress. Be sure you also occasionally give descriptive praise, saying things like, “you cleared the table, that was helpful!”
Once the family chores are being consistently taken care of, you can introduce chores for allowance. If and when you do this, be sure to continue with contribution and chores they do because they are part of the family. If you only have them doing chores for allowance, you won’t be able to get their help in other ways unless you pay them. In the beginning, these should also be things they can do independently, and things that are done daily. It’s good to continue the chart that has a chore or two because they are family, and add the chore or two they do to earn allowance. In the beginning, help them to get through and be sure they earn their allowance.
From the beginning, it is good to help them divide their money into spending, saving and charity money. The spending is money they can carry with them to the store and spend on little things, or they can put it towards the bigger things they are saving for. In the beginning, saving money is for something big they’d like to buy. As they are older this money can be towards a car or towards college expenses. The charity money is to set aside for the penny drive at school or for the Sunday school offering plate.
As they get older, you can introduce optional chores or a list of ways they can earn additional money. They can also start to do small jobs for trusted neighbors such as walking their dogs or carrying in their mail.
You might also read: https://parentingbydrrene.com/2011/12/05/chores-by-age/ or https://parentingbydrrene.com/2011/12/04/chores-for-earning-allowance/
Other ideas? Please suggest them below!
Parenting by Dr. Rene 