I’m over at Equifax today, blogging about kids and summer work. My kids have done some kind of summer earning since they were about 8. Both have had stints as dog-walkers, plant-waterers and cat-feeders. But this year, we’re taking the idea of summer money a step further.
Over Spring Break this year, we road-tested a “pay for chores and goals” method I learned about from a couple of mom-blogs–71Toes and Five Kids…in Five Years. This method worked so well that we’re going to try it this summer.
The basic idea: Decide on a handful of daily summer tasks for which your kids will get paid. (Yep, just like they would for any real “job.”) The tasks can include at least one simple household chore, and then you can add a few more items that match your family’s priorities. Examples include a physical-exercise requirement; an academic task like doing 10 minutes of math or reading; and a personal goal, like practicing a musical instrument. The full handful of items shouldn’t take more than an hour a day. Most kids have plenty of “I-have-nothing-to-do” time in the summer, so an hour is not really a stretch. (Photo courtesy of Woodley Wonderworks.)
Read my whole post over at Equifax to see how this system works. I think it’s genius!