As of today, we are officially doing chores and allowances. The boys have always had chores around here, but they were sporadic at best and I think it frustrated them that they never knew when we were going to call on them to help us out around the house. Although every night we ask them to clean up all their toys and that frustrates them a lot too, even though it isn't a surprise. I mean seriously, an all out, screaming, crying fit occurs from at least one of them when we say it's time to clean up. It is so frustrating! But I digress...
So anyway, we've had this chore chart for a few years now and we have used it mostly as a potty training chart or a chart for things that should be done anyway but they need a sticker as an incentive (brush teeth, make bed, don't hit your brother, etc).
The bottom three lines are things that the boys have to do as part of the family and they will not recieve an allowance based on those things. The 2 upper chores are voluntary, although strongly suggested (you know how that goes!), and they will earn 10 cents for each star they have under those two categories at the end of the week. I put one of my least favorite jobs up there for the boys to do - unload dishes. It gets them a star and I don't have to do it!
I think part of the reason I have waited so long to institute an allowance is because I didn't know how to go about it. I didn't want them to think that any chore they did they would get money for, because chores are part of being part of a family and the job should be done to help out and not because they are getting paid. But I also didn't just want to hand them money without any responsibility attached to it or they would think money just comes no matter if they work for it or not. Hence the few chores they have to do because that's their job in the family and the couple of extra chores they do to help out and earn a little money. I am sure we will be learning as we go, but this is a good start.
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