Parental Compensation

Hagan

Hagan

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As kids we all had certain household chores that needed to be done... Unless you were wealthy enough to have grown up in the lap of luxury (I'm not talking to you). :)

Were you paid for some or all of your chores or were you just given pocket money as a means of payment from your folks?

If you're an adult (with children who are of an age where chores can be given to your children and then rewarded monthly, in the sense of financial compensation), do you pay them, or is it simply a mundane task that needs to be fulfilled?

As well, have you ask your parents for money (often) as a child or were you just content with what you had been given ordinarily. Personally, I was not a fan of asking for money, wasn't sure there was to give... :P
 
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How it worked with me growing up was I would do whatever I was told and then I could ask for money only when I needed it.
Looking back now it was a decent system and will do the same with my kid.
 
My father would just look at me funny and I would crap my pants. I earned my pocket money by doing chores and keeping my shoes and room tidy. So I had the car to wash on Sundays, the pool to keep clean, cutting the grass, watering the plants, help dad around the house (He was constantly building) on Saturdays, washing dishes every other night. Only allowed to go to a friend when chores are done.
That was for a fixed fee of R2 a month when aged 7 to R8 a month when 14 yeas of age. I never asked my dad for money. Delivered the local paper for extra money.

Did odd jobs during school holidays when we did not go away somewhere.

Don't get me wrong - Love my dad and he is awesome and still is. Just was very strict.

We do not have children.
 
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Washing the car, mowing the many, many lawns (we lived on a farm). I think we (my brother and I) got R2 for each (maybe R5?).

We also received R5 per week, which we always cashed in when we went down to Cape Town so that we could buy a new Lego set! :D

Those were some good times.
 
Parents didn't really believe in the whole buying results thing. Was more informally seen as "dad goes to work to earn money"...you're expected to pull your weight by helping out too. Didn't really have assigned chores either...just helped with whatever needed doing.

So I just got a modest fixed allowance & they kinda expected me to help out in the house on an ad-hoc basis and deliver decent school marks.

As for amount of allowance...was towards the lower end compared to my peers...but was never a real issue tbh. Wasn't a big spender...
 
I had an odd childhood. My sister was diagnosed with a terminal disease when she was born and her life expectancy wasn't more than 14 years. She passed away just before she turned 25. She was 2 years my senior. On account of this, my parents spent most of my childhood in the hospital with my sister, as she often spent months on end there. I was kinda left to my own devices at home from a very young age. I had to grow a sense of responsibility in doing homework, learning for tests and exams and helping out with the odd chore after school. On weekends my dad tried to stay home as much as possible to still get some time spent with me, whilst my mom was mostly at the hospital again. I received a fixed allowance for this, but nothing extravagant. Barely enough to buy anything worthwhile with. Toys and gadgets had to wait for the obligatory combined birthday + xmas gift, as I was born in December.

My parents suffered a huge financial loss just before I finished school, so I was forced to work part-time to help pay the bills. I kept this up for 3 years, during the first 2 years of my studies at university as well. Most of the money I earned went back into the household. I had one year "off" from work before I started 2 jobs during my final year of studies - assistant lecturer for the Informatics department and part-time job at company I would end up spending 9.5 years at. I never skimped on my studies though... Academic prowess has always been my top priority and I was always within the top 2 academics at school and varsity.
 
As a kid I only got money from my parents for specific expenses. Mostly for things like lunch or a snack, or if there was an event at school or something. If there was a thing I wanted I was expected to ask my parents for it. Sometimes I'd get it, sometimes they'd sit me down and explain things like budgets. I think once I hit around 15 I'd get money when I asked nicely - but it was never a direct compensation for chores, and it was pretty much for "lunch and snacks" when going out with friends, i.e booze and cigs. I always had chores and I often helped out, and I was expected to help out even when not asked (mom was anal about that).

Looking back on it, I don't think I'll repeat with my kids. I never had a chance to save any money until I started earning for myself - and it took a few years before I even had a savings account. I read other people's stories about allowances, work chores and encouraging part-time work, and how parents teach their kids the habit of saving, etc etc, and I think I'd like to try that.
 
We where given pocket money, something silly like R2 a week (back then it was still a lot for a 8yr old.) We also had to do our homework, chores around the house and keep our rooms tidy, if any of those things where not done we didnt get our pocket money. I started working when I was 15 tho, babysitting and then at 16 I started working as a runner at a restaurant since we could not waitress - under age no handling of alcohol. I have had a budget since I was 16 and had my own income. I live within the budget at all times so at least it taught me a few good things.
 
We got pocket money each week. Had chores to do, but don't think our allowance was ever withheld if we didn't do it.
With our son I recently started a chores list, and for each chore he does he get 50c (he is 4), which adds up to just enough to buy a hotwheels car each week. He loves this arrangement!
Told him many times he can save a couple of weeks for a more expensive car, but he figures he can get those for birthdays or christmas.
 
We were poor. We had chores to do and got nothing for it. The rule was we stay there so we must take care of the place. Didn't get pocket money either and had to earn every cent working on weekends.
 
We didnt get pocket money. you were expected to do chores. the only time we got any money was normally for your birthday or christmas and the rest of the time if you needed money for something at school you were given money.
 
[MENTION=297]FarligOpptreden[/MENTION] - It is really sad and I am sorry to hear about your sister. I know hardship and can relate. But kudos to you for pulling through.
 
Avantar said:
[MENTION=297]FarligOpptreden[/MENTION] - It is really sad and I am sorry to hear about your sister. I know hardship and can relate. But kudos to you for pulling through.
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All in the past mate - it was more than 10 years ago. :) What made it hard back then was that I was the only one at her deathbed (parents were out of country for work). My mother still beats herself up over it and my father isn't someone to show much emotion. I guess being in the thick of it helped me work through it quicker. Besides, it was expected to happen sometime or another and we were (slightly) prepared for it.
 
FarligOpptreden said:
I had an odd childhood. My sister was diagnosed with a terminal disease when she was born and her life expectancy wasn't more than 14 years. She passed away just before she turned 25. She was 2 years my senior. On account of this, my parents spent most of my childhood in the hospital with my sister, as she often spent months on end there. I was kinda left to my own devices at home from a very young age. I had to grow a sense of responsibility in doing homework, learning for tests and exams and helping out with the odd chore after school. On weekends my dad tried to stay home as much as possible to still get some time spent with me, whilst my mom was mostly at the hospital again. I received a fixed allowance for this, but nothing extravagant. Barely enough to buy anything worthwhile with. Toys and gadgets had to wait for the obligatory combined birthday + xmas gift, as I was born in December.

My parents suffered a huge financial loss just before I finished school, so I was forced to work part-time to help pay the bills. I kept this up for 3 years, during the first 2 years of my studies at university as well. Most of the money I earned went back into the household. I had one year "off" from work before I started 2 jobs during my final year of studies - assistant lecturer for the Informatics department and part-time job at company I would end up spending 9.5 years at. I never skimped on my studies though... Academic prowess has always been my top priority and I was always within the top 2 academics at school and varsity.
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Dude.........that sounds super rough and heavy. You are a machine my friend, and your parents are rock solid. 25 years in and out of hospital and worrying about your child. Cant imagine the stress that must have been.

You and your family have my utmost respect.
 
bradbear117 said:
Dude.........that sounds super rough and heavy. You are a machine my friend, and your parents are rock solid. 25 years in and out of hospital and worrying about your child. Cant imagine the stress that must have been.

You and your family have my utmost respect.
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Thanks man, appreciate the kind words! I guess it sounds worse than it actually was for me, because it was part of my life growing up. Like my mom used to say, the good Lord never gave her anything she couldn't cope with. Everyone should take whatever comes across their path in their stride and see what lessons they can learn from it. Personally, the past 2 years have been the roughest in my life, with the loss of my father-in-law, dog being brutally killed, being screwed by previous employer and forced to start new company, potential lawsuits from both sides because of major disputes, taking salary sacrifices and incurring huge debt because of it, being emotionally broken down by people who are intimidated by my skills and the constant struggle to find new contracts to pay the company salaries and bills. My childhood pales in comparison to those struggles.

But I think we've derailed this thread for too long with my sob stories. Point being, I got a small allowance each month partly out of pity and partly because of chores I did at home.
 
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