Is it appropriate to pay a 5 yr old?

[Miaou]

This has been mulling around in my mind all w/e and I would really appreciate some advice.

My dd2 age 5 loves to help out, and when she came with me on Saturday to clean the holiday cottage, she asked if she could help. She did a really good job, sweeping floors, checking lights, dusting and polishing and vaccuuming, so much so that I did not have to redo any of the jobs she had done!

I get paid for cleaning and it struck me that maybe I could/should pay her for her help. In the end I took her to the tea rooms and bought her a piece of cake as a compromise.

She has jobs to do around the home, eg tidying bedroom, watering plants etc, which I do not pay her for. She does get pocket money each week too but it is not linked to jobs.

Any thoughts anyone?

I got paid very small amounts for similar jobs at that age. Mine are younger at the moment though so I've not really thought about doing it myself yet...

The cake sounds a good idea too though

Miaou, she sounds lovely!

How about if you give her some "wages" for this, because she does such a good job, but put it into a savings account for her? (And still take her to the tea rooms too?)

Yes I think you're probably right - do the cake thing and the money thing too.

My dd1 is currently totally uninterested in helping out (though she happily does her allotted chores) - maybe a bit of lolly might entice her! (or maybe not - obviously she doesn't miss out on the cake if she's with us!)

wish my kids were as helpful as yours. mine moan blue murder if i ask them to do something? What are you doing right that i am not??

That's very impressive Miaou ... my ds2 likes helping out too, (ds1 doesn't), but I always have to go over (secretly) after he's done the sweeping up, or dusting, or hoovering ...! He manages watering the plants in his garden though.

I don't pay him though ... sometimes we get 'into' pocket money and financial rewards for behaviour or chores ... but atm they don't really have any sensible ideas to spend their money on, and are not clamouring for it, so we're not doing money right now!

i think it was a lovely idea to thank her by taking her for a treat.
i don't think they ought to be paid for doing jobs in there own home - we don't.
however, i think if she's helping you do a job that you're paid for then you could give her a little something. i wouldn't always 'treat' as it isn't a treat if it is regular, so maybe some weeks some money, others a treat.

p.s. do you hire her out???

A treat definitely, as it's not an ordinary chore. Your dd sounds delightfully helpful for a 5 year old. If she does this other times, perhaps you could look through a toy catalogyue togther and choose a toy? I know you are not too near many shops.

I would not offer money or treats for doing ordinary chores, but would offer praise. I read somewhere that rewarding children for ordinary help around the house is not a good idea. Children should realise everyone has to help out. Not that you are doing this anyway.

Thanks for the toy idea tigermoth. Money sometimes is a bit of an irrelevance here as there is nothing to spend it on.

lol at the idea of hiring her out mummysurfer - she'd wear you out by talking non-stop!! (bless)