I want this new Legos, I want a Thomas the Train Engine, I want a new Dream Lite, I want a Baseball Bat…. and on and on and on.
If you have Kids I’m guessing you’ve heard this more than once, My son who is 4 has been really into “Buying things” lately, he’s hit that age where every-time we go to the store he wants to buy something. A few months ago we really started talking with him about the importance of making smart decisions, and working hard for the things we buy. Each time my son asks to buy something in the store I remind him that he will have to save his money if its something he really wants. If he starts asking for Multiple Items I remind him that he’ll have to choose which one he wants first.
When my son finds something he really wants (Typically something he’s asking to buy even when we aren’t in the store) We create a list of the items he wants to buy. By making a list of what the item is and how much the item costs we can encourage him to work hard to reach his goals.
Making a list also discourages teaching an Impulsive Nature in stores, we typically plan for what we want to buy with him and we save until we have enough to purchase the item. We don’t typically give him money in the store and have him pick something out because we want to build the principles of planning and preparing for purchases into him.
While our kids are very young (Only 4 1/2 and 2 1/2) I believe it’s really important for them to learn to work early! We have things that they are required to do because they are family members and then we have “Jobs” that my 4 year old can do to earn money each week. Because I don’t buy much for him I tend to pay generously so that he can afford to buy things I might normally buy him (Like New Soccer Cleats or a Baseball Bat) I personally prefer to pay him and have him buy this type of item because I believe in teaching him to be responsible with money at an early age, but I also know that every family has different opinions on how much to pay, and what kids should be buying so those are things you will want to decide for yourself!
Here are a few “Jobs” Our 4 Year old can do:
- Put Up the Silver-wear
- Water the Garden
- Fold Towels
- Clean Table after Meals
- Vacuum Living Room
- Organize DVDs
We don’t pay for things like making your bed, picking up toys, setting the table, etc. I really don’t know if there’s a right or wrong thing and every kid will be different in what you can expect them to do. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Jobs that Your Kids are able to do and the ages each of them started! I’m always looking for new ideas!
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We started a year ago with our daughter. She’s 6 now. But at 5, she was able to basically clear the table from meals, water plants, sort recycling and then when we took it to the recycling center she’d pick one section and put in all the items (she preferred the plastics), feed the dogs, bring in the mail, etc. We switch up her chores quarterly so she doesn’t get bored – or as she grows up, she can take on more responsibility. Currently she cleans windows, wipes down the dinner table, dusts, puts all the Wii gear back in the Wii basket, folds the throw blankets we use in the living room, helps with meals (she can break spaghetti and put it in the water, add spices to the spaghetti sauce, arrange the biscuits on the tray, shuck corn on the cob, snap fresh green beans, crack eggs, etc.) and this is a great help to me. It’s also teaching her some valuable domestic skills. She is also sweeping the dining room with her broom, picking up trash in the yard, cleaning the bathroom (she really cleans the sink and wipes down the toilet), and she takes all the small trash cans and dumps it in the big trash at the end of the week. We also put a “Special” line at the end for when she does things like cut watermelon in small cubes for a baby shower or event at church, she also made cookies to take to some shut-ins at our church , so when she gives her time to a ministry, we reward her with another small sum. Making money really motivates my child and now she understands that is how I get MY money.
P.S. At the end of the quarter (which was yesterday for us) we go thru her closet and drawers and find clothes that don’t fit. When she donates her clothes or consigns them, we give her a percentage of that. We really want to focus on being “givers”, too. She did save enough in her “GIVE” bank last year that she donated $60 herself for the Jump For Heart and got a video message from a 6 year old who is in the heart program at a hospital where our funds were going. It was nice for her to see some children in need and then help them.
We also encourage indoor and outdoor helps. This summer, she helped wash the car, water my hibiscus, hose down the porch, clean out coolers, sweep the garage, make sure the outside water for the dogs was fresh and cold.
I can’t wait for the day she’s old enough to iron. :)
My kids fed our cats, too at age 4. Now they are 9 and 7 and they unload the dishwasher, clean their own bathroom, place their dishes in the sink, sort all the family’s laundry, feed their fish, sweep the kitchen floor, wipe counters with clorox wipes, put pictures in photo albums, match mis-matched socks, dust and drag the recycle bin and trash can to the curb.