I recently saw this question posed on a mommy networking blog: “Should allowance be tied to chores?”. If got me thinking of my own answer to the question. Kristy discussed this in a past 2cent Sunday post, but I thought it would be great to ponder again.
My answer is, Yes and no. In our home we balance the two. Our oldest son has certain responsibilities (aka “chores”) each week. Some of those are tied to whether or not he will receive his “commission” (we like this term over allowance, it defines the fact that he is working for it, not just being “allowed” to have it). However, there are also other tasks that he is expected to do every week regardless of payment. We feel like there needs to be a balance between teaching working hard for your wage (a skill he will need as an adult) and completing a chore because it helps the greater good of the family. We are trying to teach him that you shouldn’t help around the house just because you are getting paid for it, but because you are serving the other family members and their needs. This is why we also use the 50/40/10 rule with his commission- 50% goes to savings, 40% to spend and 10% to give. Doing chores is not just about putting the laundry away- it is about teaching a life lesson that will hopefully make him a responsible adult in his finances and his personal interactions. Deep, I know- and you thought it was just about taking out the trash! 
We would love to hear your thoughts as well! Share them here or on the Facebook wall.
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