This Washington Post article discusses the challenges of getting children to help with chores, but agrees that as a whole, children should not be paid for doing chores. “It's reasonable to pay children for something that you would typically pay someone to do, such as washing your car,” one expert in the article is quoted as saying, “But sorting out what tasks you pay for and what you do yourself can be a very personal decision. It boils down to what you want your children to take away from the experience…”

The Professors House offers the argument that when you pay for kids chores it not only offers an incentive, but provides them with a lesson in finances, and prepares them for the real world. “Children learn that money has to be earned.” The author writes, “It must not be viewed as a weekly handout to which they are entitled. When we learned about intellectual and emotional triggers in Psychology 101, children must be able to establish the relationship between work and money.”

In a question answer format, The BabyCenter expert states that it is not a good idea to pay for chores, since housework teaches children how to be a team player and be responsible. However, the expert goes on to say that paying for jobs outside of the usual chores are acceptable. “If your child wants to go to the movies with a friend's family but doesn't have enough allowance money to do so,” the expert explains, “you could pay him for doing a harder job, like cleaning up the yard. The key is to make sure it's not one that he regularly does as part of his chores.”

The writer of this article, from the British publication Times Online, discusses the various ways parents approach the subject of paying for chores, and introduces experts and authors for their personal thoughts: “’It’s important that children learn that money doesn’t grow on trees, that you have to earn it,’ says Palmer. ‘However, there are base-line jobs that everyone should do with the agreement that nobody gets paid for doing them, that everyone shares responsibility.’”

Another question answer forum in which Dr. Bill responds, “Our kids should perform certain chores around the house simply because they are part of the family...On the other hand, I think it's fine to pay our kids for chores that demand more time and energy and go ‘above and beyond the call of duty.’"

Good Housekeeping offers real life situations dealing with chores and payments. Experts then provide their responses to the parenting solutions. “‘…when they think of tasks as job outsourcing, parents are likely to suggest tasks that really benefit the household,’” says one expert, Schwab Pomerantz, “‘and that’s a good motivator for kids.’”

Mamashares on the pay for kids chores debate

I would tend to agree with the common thought that there are some chores around the home that need to be done without giving an allowance for kids, but that certain projects that need doing can be done for cash. The objective in any decision is to teach responsibility as a family member and financial responsibility. The perfect balance produces a responsible roommate, employee, spouse, and eventually parent.

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Pay for Kids Chores

A great subject of contention in the parenting world is the question of whether to pay for kids chores. Where some parents feel that it is a child’s responsibility to do household chores without the expectation of payment, other parents believe that when you pay an allowance for kids based on chores, it instills a sense of financial accountability.
Is it right to pay a child to do something that a parent has to do for free?

How much financial responsibility is instilled in a child who charges for cleaning his or her room? Is there a compromise that can benefit everyone?

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