pocket money - what age to start? and in return for helping with chores, or not?

[Escallonia]

ds is nearly 4 and I thought I might start giving him pocket money, 50p a week, as he is starting to understand money.

he likes helping with chores already so not sure whether to link the two things or not.

Any thoughts?

My children didn't get pocket money until they were older but if you feel he is starting to understand money and could be useful to help with good habits early eg budgeting, saving.

I have read about transactional parenting where you can fall into the trap of children only doing something in order to receive so it may be better not to link the two and get him to do chores to help the family unit rather than to get something in return. Although alot of people use witholding money as a sanction for unwanted behaviour.

So, I would say if you want to start giving pocket money to start good habits early that ok but would try and avoid setting up the payment for doing what he should be doing to help the family function well for everyone. Or in time you may struggle to get him to do anything without paying him for it.

Hope that helps?

yes that's very helpful thanks.

I would give him pocket money anyway and he does chores anyway. Perhaps when he is much older I will reward big one-off chores with cash but I agree that the cash incentive to work isn't one he should be into now, it should be because he likes to help and because he should help anyway. and he won't be getting much money but good for him to learn what it buys / how to save for something rather than just being bought it (or not!)

We have an expectation of certain chores to be done by the DC that are necessary for the family ti run harmoniously. These are not associated to remuneration.

I do however incentivise them occasionally to do out of the ordinary chores, or would give them a coin or so if the had performed above and beyond the call of duty. For example DD3 got up before everyone on Sunday and chopped all the mushrooms and prepared the eggs for scrambling without being asked. £1 reward from a proud mom.

our house runs like that too. dh works more than ft and i work while the kids are at school 5 days a week, so everyone needs to help out. they all have chores like emptying/filling dishwasher, setting table, putting away their own freshly washed/ironed/folded clothes, if there is a pile of stuff on the bottom stair they know they need to pick it up and take it upstairs. feeding the rabbit, dusting their rooms. they are 11,8,7 so the oldest can hoover her own room but the other 2 struggle a bit yet although they do try now and again. think its important that they realise that families need to work together for each other. they get pocket money from their grandparents (not us as really really skint{sad}) and if they do something extra, like ds offered to hoover his little sisters room, and then the car so he got a little extra.

DD is 6.5 and we have just started after she put her case very well! DH said it was on the understanding that she helps, and that she uses her own money to buy presents sometimes. We are too lax to really mean that - but will occasionally remind her that everyone has to help in a family etc. Today she said she wants to buy her teacher a gift with her own money. She also donated 20p to Comic Relief, and 50p to my mother's day present.