Teach Godly Lessons with Chores and Allowance

Once again, I am collaborating. This time, it's with a tremendous group of ladies over at Don't Try This At Home. Chili has asked for ideas on chores and allowance, so visit the carnival, read other great ideas, and even contribute your own!

I am on a journey in this area. I don't have it all down. My kids are still a little young for a lot of chores, but they are slowly taking more responsibility for the workings of the household. I think this is so important.

I was talking to another mom the other day about the fact that she does not give allowance for chores. Her philosophy is that the kids are part of the family, and they do their part to help. They then, get an allowance because they are part of the family, not because they do chores. She had tried rewarding them for individual chores, but her kids weren't motivated by that. They really came alive when it was put to them as pitching in to a larger cause.

I immediately thought that the method of rewarding them based on their completion of their own responsibilities was diametrically opposed. But as I thought about it, it's really only a matter of semantics. So the first question you must ask yourself is this:

• Are your children motivated by being a part of something larger, with ideas of contributing to the whole?

or

• Are they motivated by accomplishing a task, and receiving the natural consequences of a job well-done?

I do a little bit of both.

• The older two kids (6 and 4) have a simple nightly routine they accomplish to get ready for the next day. You can see a picture of the checklist here. These are personal goals, such as homework, setting out clothes, etc. I reward them at the end of the week with $1.25 in quarters (they still get excited over a dollar) for completing the checklist, and cleaning up their room on the weekend.

• We also have family things that everyone must help with, such as putting away laundry, setting and clearing the table, clearing the living room of toys, etc. These they must do simply because they are part of the family, and we all work together.

I made a three-part bank to hold their money. It has sections for Store, Church and Bank. They divide the money they earn, putting one quarter in the Church, one in the Bank, and three in the Store. I teach making change to my older daughter as she figures out how many dollars she can get for her quarters.

I feel they are learning several godly lessons with this system, at least I hope they are!

1. Tithing We give our first 10% to the church, in addition to any other charitable giving. Kids can learn this at a young age. I won't go into the Biblical reasons we do this, but if you believe in tithing, it's good to start early.

2. Saving Proverbs 6:6-8 says

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler
yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

I don't know about calling the child a sluggard, but it's a wise lesson, nonetheless.

3. Excellence and work ethic This is a big one for me. I feel that too many people in this country think they are owed something for nothing. In this world, if we are able, we earn money because we work for it. The able-bodied among us can then take care of those who are truly unable to work. The earlier our kids learn this lesson, the more successful they will be in life. We also can teach them that earning money is not a bad thing, because it enables you to give all the more.

Even Paul gave this lesson to the Thessalonians, when he said

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. 2Thess 3: 6-13

OK, so I am obviously not saying withhold food from your child, but the truth is they are not entitled to money just because they are a part of a society (the family). That would be socialism. In this country, and this family, they have to do their part.

4. Patience With the ability to earn their own money, comes the ability to save up for something they really want. In this age of instant credit, sub-prime and interest-only loans, it's difficult to teach an adult to methodically save for what you want. I want to start early with my children, so they will get into the habit before they are confronted with credit card offers in High School or College.

My ultimate goal in all this is to cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit in my kids.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal 5: 22-23

If I don't see these fruits, I will re-evaluate and change what I'm doing.

So what do you do for chores and allowance? Am I missing something? Add your comment to the discussion!

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