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CHORES are not always fun for adults or for kids but they are important for teaching kids responsibility. Young children will often get excited about helping their parents and older siblings because it makes them feel important so take advantage of this time when it is still a novelty and start with the basics.

It is important to take time to teach children to do their chore and not to assume that they know. Start off with the basics and slowly add as they get older and as they are more capable. Explain your family expectations... When are chores supposed to be done? Do your children get an allowance for doing their chores? Are there consequences when they do not do their chores? Sticker reward charts can be a great way to motivate children when they are young. For older children, regardless of whether you pay an allowance, remember to acknowledge your children for a job well done. Try not to nag your children about doing their chores. If they choose to delay or ignore them, apply the consequence.

• 2-5 year olds can help with picking up their toys, feeding the dog, setting the table and simple things like taking something from one room to another.
• 6-8 year olds can help with making their beds, cleaning their rooms, unloading groceries, sorting, folding and putting away laundry with a parent, taking more responsibility for their pets, and taking out the trash.
• 9-12 year olds can help prepare meals, wash dishes, unload the dishwasher, and vacuum.
• 13-18 year olds can handle just about anything, the issue is more about balancing it with their homework and sports commitments. This is an important age to start giving them more responsibility and teaching life skills that they will need to learn for living on their own... learning to do a load of laundry, preparing a meal, grocery shopping, cleaning a bathroom, etc.

ALLOWANCE can be a sticky topic...Do you give allowance in your household? Is it tied to chores or not?  How much is the right amount to give?  When is the right time to implement an allowance?  Unfortunately, there is not one magic formula but allowance can be a great way to teach kids money management skills. BANKS often offer accounts specific to children and teens which give an excellent avenue to teach money skills.  

Scroll below and enjoy several articles addressing the topic of Allowance and Chores.

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS... How do you handle allowance and chores in your family? CLICK HERE >

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Summer is here, the kids are out of school, the routines have shifted, and money for fun is likely high in demand!

If you have teens, they are probably busy spending money hand over fist (whatever that means) and hopefully, many of them are making some or all of the money they are spending. If they aren’t, and YOU are supplying the money they are spending… STOP!

Yes, you read that correctly. Stop giving them money to spend frivolously! Kids don’t learn how to CREATE their own money streams when you are always providing it.

Kids need to experience money for themselves in order to learn how it works in the real world. Summer is a perfect time to get them started, no matter how old they are.

Try this: figure out, on a monthly basis, how much you spend on your kids and then run it THROUGH them instead, age appropriately of course.

You give them a lump sum at the beginning of the month, talk about what they are going to need and want, help them put together a budget, and then let them go at it! Guess what? They get to make mistakes, recover, make decisions, feel the impact and, most important of all, practice! All you have to do is be willing not to rescue them when they run out of money. THIS is where the lessons will begin.

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is for kids to spend YOUR money rather than THEIR money? This is why it is imperative that you put them in charge of purchasing the things they need as early as possible. It might be uncomfortable for a while but you’ll notice the changes before school begins.

You can learn more about allowances in Elisabeth’s book, The Ultimate Allowance.