Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Chore Chart

Paid chores can help teach children the foundation for managing money as well as the benefit of rewards that come with a job well done, according to Home School Curriculum For Life. Chore charts organize tasks that need to be completed and help kids track their progress, according to Chore Charts. Blank chore charts can be printed from online sources to help you get started.

Ages 2 to 4
Young children love to help and you should encourage that feeling by giving your children simple chores, even if allowing that help creates more work for you, according to Chores-Help-Kids. Helping is the key word for a chore checklist for this group. A checklist for this age group would include helping with making the bed, putting dishes away, feeding pets, cleaning messes and picking up toys. Adding pictures next to the chore helps younger kids understand the job at hand and makes the process a little more fun.

Ages 4 to 6
Typically, this age group is still excited to help but can be motivated further with the promise of rewards, according to Chores-Help-Kids. Even better for parents, some chores for this age group can be done without as much supervision. A chore checklist for this age includes dusting, setting the table, simple food preparation, putting away clean clothes, taking dirty sheets from his bed and organizing anything needed for school the night before.

Ages 7 to 12
This age group is generally interested in and able to handle increased responsibility, according to Chores-Help-Kids. However, parents may also have to be ready to address consequences of not completing chores. While switching chores around each week for younger kids helps keep the process fun, preteens prefer consistency. A chore checklist for this age group includes washing the car, clipping coupons, meal planning, raking leaves, doing laundry, vacuuming the car or filing papers.

Teens Parents should insist that teens do chores even if it means that you have to tweak your child's high-school schedule to make more time for helping around the house.
A chore checklist for teens would include lawn work, babysitting younger brothers or sisters, washing windows or cleaning out the refrigerator.

How Much to Pay
Figuring out how much to give kids for chores is a tricky issue for many parents, and there is no set rule. The child's age, the family's income, the child's expenses and even the amount received by the child's friends all influence the dollar amount, according to Family Education.com.


If the allowance covers the chores, a good rule of thumb is $1 per year, according to the website. For example, a five year old receives $5 while his 12 year-old sister receives $12.



For older children, parents also need to consider what the allowance should cover. For example, if the family budget covers a teen's clothes, then the $1 per age may still work. However, if a high school student is expected to buy her own clothes, gas or other expenses, the allowance may need to be increased. If the teen makes her own money with a part-time job, it may be appropriate to scale the weekly allowance down, according to the website.

For extra chores, or chores not tied to allowances, parents should set realistic dollar amounts and remember that the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour as of July 24, 2009, according to U.S. Department of Labor.

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