What is a good age for kids to get a allowance?

Answer 1

I NEVER got one myself. but when my OLDER brother was 10 mom and dad gave home like $10 a week. my parents favored him in every way posable. because HE was OLDER so that made HIM "PERFECT".

Answer 2

When they are old enough to earn it. If you just give it because it's something you feel they are entitled to, then that's what you will end up with on your hands later on...a child that feels they are entitled to whatever they want. Make them earn things at an early age, and I believe they will have more respect for it later in life. There is no age that can be put on this...all kids are different. My kids are 10 & 11, and they earn their allowance every two weeks. They also know they can have it taken away. We started giving them the opportunity to earn an allowance about 3 years ago. It's gone well so far. I don't believe in the "reward for good behavior" things that have been posted in regards to your question. I don't think that a child should be monetarily or materially rewarded for behaving. If you start down that track, then a child that is used to being rewarded for good behavior will always expect it. It's not something that's being earned. It's something that's being received for temporary good behavior. I expect my children to earn their allowance, and bad behavior can make it dwindle fast. Both of my children are very well behaved. I don't necessarily believe in spanking, but it will happen for the severe things...example: hiding from me in a department store because they think it's funny. That just makes me panic. We live in such a nasty world these days. It only takes 2.5 seconds for a child to be abducted. So, spanking for that sort of behavior will definitely happen. But, we don't use spanking on a daily basis. Does this all make sense?

Answer 3

Allowance is a great way to teach kids about money management. Whether or not they work to earn it (by doing chores etc) is something of a personal decision (I make my kids help around the house and then I give them allowance).

All three of my kids get allowance; they are 6, 8 and 10. They each get $0.50 per year of age, so the 6 yo gest $3, the 8 yo gets $4 and the 10 year old gets $5.

They each have 3 piggy banks: "Sharing", "Spending" and "Saving" and have to divide their money between those banks.

Answer 4

It will depend on the child, but generally any age you feel is appropriate for the child to start taking on some personal responsibility.

I remember my parents giving me a small weekly allowance when I was just 4 or 5 for simply making my bed each day (I'm 20 now, so obviously these amounts are probably seen as much too small for children today), I think they gave me something like 50 cents or 75 cents a week for that. It shouldn't be so much so that they don't understand that helping out in the household is something they should do for free, but it should be enough so that they can learn things about saving money and working towards things they want.

I think after that, I got paid around $3 per week to take care of our cats everyday, then even after that, they added chores like dishes, cooking one family meal per week, taking out the trash, etc for about $10 per week.

Good luck!

Answer 5

What's a good age for kids to do chores around the house? Keeping your room clean, help with dinner and dishes, cleanup the bathroom, put out the garbage, take care of any pets that are living in the house. If your doing these things and needs spending money just ask for it. I never gave my kids allowances they came and asked for the money and gave me a good reason, if the reason wasn't good enough they didn't get it.

Answer 6

I started my children on an allowance at 3. They are old enough to understand that money buys things. It was a small allowance, $1.00/week, (for picking up their toys, dirty clothes and making their beds), and they were encouraged to save it to buy something nice every couple of months. As they got older, the amount went up, but so do the amount of choirs and responsibility's! It seems to have worked well for my 4 children. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

I'm all for rewarding children for good behaviour and helping out, but if you haven't yet introduced an allowance, I wouldn't start. Kids should help out around the house as part of being a family. No one pays you to help them with homework or make their lunches...you do it out of love and support...as should they. The younger you start your kids (2 years old at the earliest) helping with tasks within their capabilities, the easier it is for them to continue this positive behaviour. Rewards should always start with thank you and hugs and not be equated with money or lavish gifts. Stickers, time-shares in activities, or choosing a special meal or movie might be better suited rewards.

Answer 8

I started giving my son allowence at 6. He has to keep his room clean and "help" with household chores like dusting and folding towels. He calls it earning his allowence which is great he's already learning that you have to work for things and they aren't just handed to you. I also make him put at least half of his allowence into "savings" and the other half he is free to do with as he likes. I believe that starting kids earlier will help them to be much more responsible with money as adults.

Answer 9

When they start helping you do things around the house. It might be better instead of giving them an allowance put it in a college trust fund so that way when they are older they will have money for college. That is what my fiance and I are doing with my two oldest daughters and once my youngest is able to walk my fiance and I are going to do the same with her.

Answer 10

It's important that they know that these are just the things that families have to do to make the household run smoothly. I would also deduct money for chores not done or inappropriate behaviors. I created "fake money" on the computer that I allowed them to exchange for extra game time or extra privliages. At the end of every month they can exchange it for real money. 50 cents on the dollar. Nothing in life comes free or easy. That was important to instill. Make it fun.

Answer 11

When you child understand money and its value and it old enough to stand at the counter and make a purchase by handling their own money...then they are old enough. It doesn't have much meaning to a younger child...mine knew money and how to count it and all at about age 5 and were able to make their own transactions then...so we started bout kindergarten. But most children don't fully understand money and how to count it and all until around ages 6-8...so really anywhere K-2nd grade range may be a good starting point.

For younger kids it is a better idea to have a chore chart with a reward...rather than money.