Childrens Allowance
When we consider that the word allowance means, "allowing for," it puts that "A" word into better perspective.
Children will need access to their own stash of cash when they reach a certain age. Kids develop this need around age 8 or 9 and it grows into the monster it will become by about age 15 or 16 ... they do get more expensive with age, don't they?
At age 8, we began giving our older daughter money for each A on her report card and for each 100% on tests. We receive flack from other parents about it to this day. Mainly, their argument is that children should do well in school because they "want to." Is this the same as "just because?" Sounds like it to me. I think parents are afraid to reward their kids for good grades simply because they feel this will set a bad example. But a bad example for what? That if they work hard and do well, they will get rewards? Isn't that precisely how the world works? We still think it's a good idea, even 4 years later.
This same daughter gets an allowance plus her good grade money. She can spend her "own" money on whatever trips her wire. She has learned not to squander everything on one momentarily gratifying purchase, she's a whiz at making sure she's given the correct amount of change and her shopping savvy is positively inspiring. She also must put ten percent of her money in the bank. It's an amount not likely to be missed, but teaches her the benefits of "paying yourself first." She's amassed quite the savings account!
My younger daughter is in first grade and beginning to demand her share of the booty. She now gets money for perfect test scores and for a "good" report card. She receives a lot less than her sister but she's 5 years younger and hasn't learned to tell the difference ... yet. She also gets a small allowance. She knows how much she has to spend and is learning the rituals of managing her own money, too.
While some children don't really care about going to the mall or buying their own special treats, most kids do care ... an awful lot. Children will begin craving all sorts of pricey, impractical things by a certain age. A good alternative to spending a fortune catering to their whims is teaching them to save for frivolous luxuries. If they want something impractical that we can't rationalize buying for them, they're on their own.
A potential problem I see occurring when children don't have their own money is a possible desire to steal, be it from their parent's wallet or something cool they feel they have to have from a store. Without the ability to "earn" or make the money fairly, they might feel the only way to attain something they want is to take it. Naturally, we teach our children that stealing is wrong but when kids, or adults for that matter, feel helpless they tend to take morality into their own hands. Besides, kids need to learn fiscal responsibility. I think the earlier we allow them to experience the rewards and triumphs of good spending habits, the better judges of value they will become.
One controversy is paying children for doing chores. This is a tough call. I have just begun implementing mandatory chores in our home. Considering it's never been one of my better parenting abilities, I'm still struggling through the details. I have been known to threaten their allowance if they don't do their chores but it doesn't really work the way I want it to. My older daughter decides if it's "worth" it at that point and that's not the point at all, is it? So, I'm backtracking on this one and being firmer about chores just getting done and trying not to threaten their livelihood.
I think allowance is a great teaching tool when given in the spirit of generosity and practicality. It's never too early to learn or teach responsibility and when we consider that allowance is a good math lesson, we've just added to our children's knowledge base considerably.
Copyright 2002 ? 2005 - Rexanne Mancini
Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com ? http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html
 Google News Updated : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:51:10 GMT "Chihuahua" bites Crowe, DiCaprio at box office - Reuters Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new terrorism thriller "Body of Lies" failed to take the top spot at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, becoming the latest victim of moviegoer aversion to movies dealing with Middle East intrigue. 'Chihuahua' still has bite in second weekend at box office ‘Body’ Talk, Baby Talk Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:19:10 GMT Obama Gains in States Such as Iowa, Florida Give National Boost - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By James Rowley and Kristin Jensen Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is moving ahead in a series of new polls from Florida to Iowa, gains that are helping him maintain a national lead over Republican John McCain. Video: Kids Vote On Campaign '08 Newsday poll: Obama has double-digit lead on Long Island Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:51:54 GMT Stem cell promises, obstacles remain four years after bill's approval - San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News - EDITOR'S NOTE: This is first of a two-part series examining the progress and potential pitfalls in California's $3 billion stem cell research program. Researchers find easier way to make stem cells New method generates stem cells safely from mice Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:34:39 GMT Spotlight on Apple notebooks: 1989 to 2008 - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Apple will unveil the latest addition to a long line of portable computers that dates back nearly 20 years - to the ungainly, 15.8-pound “Macintosh Portable” that PC World named the 17th worst technology product of all time. This week in Apple: New notebooks, new writers, and more Woz Don't Buy A Mac Laptop* Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:23:15 GMT Texas new No. 1 in coaches poll after wild college football weekend - USA Today
USA Today - By Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY The date won't quite live in infamy, but college football followers should remember Oct. 11, 2008, for a long time. Kansas fails to move up in polls Texas grabs top ranking in AP Poll Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:18:35 GMT US-POLITICS Summary - Washington Post
Washington Post - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 6-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the US presidential race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Sunday. John McCain and Sarah Palin try new tactics Pittsburgh Paper Picks Obama, Pans on McCain/Palin Ticket Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:22:18 GMT Lisa Marie Presley delivers twins: report - Reuters
Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley's only child, gave birth to twin baby girls on October 7, celebrity news TV show "Entertainment Tonight" said on its website on Saturday. Twin girls for Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley Welcomes Twin Girls Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:17:01 GMT Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... I don't know how people raise daughters because I have... Read More In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But... Read More This year alone, 1,600 teenagers aged 15 to 19 will... Read More Most of our Founding Fathers, including Ben Franklin, Sam Adams,... Read More Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part... Read More What is a parenting problem?Parenting is a tough job, we... Read More When we talk about attention, we are talking about two... Read More 17 Quick Ways to Strengthen the Bonds of LoveOn Mother's... Read More If you visit search engines you can find several resources... Read More You have two kids who are 14 months apart. How... Read More Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's... Read More Are you a professional?Notice how the questions differs from, "Do... Read More Look around: Your kids are counting sleeps until the last... Read More One of the few decisions you'll make during pregnancy that... Read More Everyone loves penguins. And now, everyone has a chance to... Read More Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among... Read More The snow was getting heavier with each lift of the... Read More Maryann is so focused she's blind. She's slipped over the... Read More Finding answers to a child's underachievement is often a difficult... Read More 1. Boundaries are necessary for control and safety.All children need... Read More A parent writes in, ``We are having a hard time... Read More "The best blush to use is laughter: It put roses... Read More Have you ever watched your teenager make a mistake (that... Read More Q. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More Many young people don't know how to study efficiently and... Read More
Adsense
websites
Tackle, Tackle
A Minute Can Turn into Hours for the Child of a Work-at-Home Mom
How to Talk to Your Kids About Suicide: New Study Says it May Make Them Less Likely to Consider It!
Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson Never Went To Public School
Small Children, Languages and Myths
Parenting Problem? 5 Simple Things That Will Help
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Do We Mean by Attention Anyway?
Working Moms: Too Busy for Your Children?
After the Driving School
Two Means Trouble
Internet Dangers - Protecting Children from Internet Jeopardy
Who Are You When the Professional In You Meets Baby?
5 Simple Steps Guaranteed To Allow You To Spend More Time With Your Children This Summer
Five Easy Steps to Picking the Perfect Baby Name
March of the Penguins - A Fun Learnig Tool
Toilet Terrors And Other Potty Training Fears
Im a Father, Doesnt Anyone Care?
You Make Me Sick And Other Things Parents Say in Anger
Finding Answers to Underachievement
Five Tips for Successful Grandparenting
Parenting Your Teenager: 6 Tips for Effective Discipline and Consequences
Defrazzle with a Hearty Guffaw
Getting Through to Your Teenager
Parenting Your Teenager: The Trust Issue
Study Skills - Help Young People Study Smarter, Not Harder
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Guide to Choosing LEGO Toys for Children
If you're looking for toys that are both fun to... Read More
My Children
I have been a single mom for almost 20 years.... Read More
A Child Can Make a Difference
Sometimes dreams really can come true! May 8th - 11th,... Read More
Lead with Love:How Mothers Can Use Their Greatest Strength to Manage Around Their Technical Weakness
My wife and I have been working on a video... Read More
Bullies
Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More
Raising Boys
The last decade has seen heightened interest in and awareness... Read More
Screaming Kids Driving You Nuts? Four Rules to Help You Keep Your Sanity!
Often I will hear parents say, "I just ignore Jr.... Read More
School Days - Top 10 Tips for Establishing a Good Routine
Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines,... Read More
Play the Ball, Not the Man!
As parents and teachers, sometimes we want to praise, at... Read More
Career Education: Does Not Mean the 6 Year College Plan
Researching career education uncovered the following shocking statistic: The average... Read More
How to Help Your Child be Successful in Kindergarten
Your child's first year of school should be a fun... Read More
Maximizing Your ADHD Childs Performance in School.
As a parent there are lots of things that you... Read More
THE NEW SCHOOL VISIT: 5 Things to Look For
Today the little red school house is not what it... Read More
The Great Baby Name Debate
Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose... Read More
Building Teen Character: Part-Time Employment
The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's... Read More
How to Assist Troubled Teens
What parents of a teen haven't wondered where their sweet... Read More
How A Home Water Filter Can Reduce Your Child?s Risk Of Learning Disabilities
Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person... Read More
Nothing Like a Mothers Love
Travel is a common theme in my life -- probably... Read More
Why Consistency Is The Key To Raising Well-behaved Kids
Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make... Read More
Alias: Aptitude
Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get... Read More
Time Out for Adults
"Get down from the table top right now! What are... Read More
Tips for Keeping Packed Lunches Fun and Interesting
? Let the child choose his or her own lunch... Read More
Helping Your Child Make and Keep Friends
What Children Look for in a Friend?Is this child fun... Read More
The Reticular Activating System, and its Role in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we... Read More
Facing the Homeschool Super Mom
I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus... Read More
Parenting |