Are you on the hunt for a chore and allowance contract for kids? Since we’ve started this program, I have heard the phrase, “This is the best idea” at least 25 times. Now, my kids are motivated to clean the house, they are managing their time better than ever before, they are excited to be managing their money, and MY HOUSE IS CLEANER than it has ever been. Wins all around.

Have you read my books?

ps. If you haven’t read my parenting books, check them out. I think they’re funny and great but don’t take my word for it; read the reviews. Memory-Making Mom: Building Traditions That Breathe Life Into Your Home and Let Them Be Kids: Adventure, Innocence, Boredom, and Other Gifts Kids Need.

         

I learned about the idea of a chore and allowance contract for kids from Ralphie at Simply On Purpose. You can access her “family economy” plan to see her tips. She got her idea from the book The Entitlement Trap which is the master guide for a solid chore and allowance contract for kids. Ralphie’s tips gave me enough motivation to do the program. I still had lots of questions, though, so I got the book. After the book I had a much clearer picture, but still lots of questions. So I’m am sharing all the nitty gritty here of what we decided on to help anyone out there implement the plan.

The basic premise is that you give your kids more of the jobs around the house, and also more of the family money to spend.

You are essentially making your kids a job offer. You write them up a list of jobs and proposed pay. They can accept; they can reject. (They probably won’t reject.)

But this chore and allowance contract for kids is not just providing spending money; they have to now buy a lot of their stuff. If you are like me, you are intrigued, but you have so many questions:

• What kind of jobs do they do?
• How much money do they get and how often do they get paid?
• What stuff do they have to buy, and what do they not have to buy?
• What happens if they only do some of the jobs?
• Is there an ideal age?

I thought I’d share how we are are working this out in our house.

If you’d like the complete version that you can edit, along with the weekly chore charts for my kids 12, 10 and 6, sign up below:

—–> Click here to receive your own customizable copy. <—–

The general gist of our chore and allowance contract for kids:

• Each child gets 10 jobs per day, Monday-Friday
• Saturday and Sunday are off.
• When the kids complete a job, they get one “point.” (So they can earn 10 points a day.)
• Then, if they earn 48-50 points per week, they earn the full amount (their age per week).
• With their money, they have to buy anything “extra,” shoes and some clothing items. like socks. because my kids think socks grow on trees.
• However, we still pay for lessons, sports, food, and super basic wardrobe.
• They have to give some to savings and some to church.
• Also, we gave the kids a “signing bonus” if they accepted the job, to have some in the bank in order to begin. This isn’t necessary but was definitely a nice perk as we explained all the jobs they were doing!

I am going to copy below a bit of the “contract” along with the “Frequently Asked Questions” section. ps. we made this feel super-official and called the kids “prospective employees” and they thought it was a hoot.

If you want the entire chore and allowance contract for kids to edit for your own, there is a box below to receive the download. This also has a list of my children’s jobs for your reference.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!! Your family isn’t my family. So, don’t get all bent out of shape if you don’t like my chores, or it isn’t enough, or it’s too much or whatever. I’m sharing mine to give you a gauge but by all means do what you want to do. We are living in a townhome right now, homeschooling, and playing sports every day, so when we move to our real home and summer comes, chores will look different.

Tips for implementing your allowance and chore system:

• Make it fun. We had a breakfast “meeting” with “refreshments.” We acted like employers and talked like professionals.
• Also, make it clear the system can be changed. Just like in a real job, roles and positions sometimes shift.
• Finally, be super excited and act like they have a big responsibility. Which they do!

Our “Work and Allowance Contract” read like this:

—–> Click here to receive your own customizable copy. <—–

ALLOWANCE OFFER AND CONTRACT

Job Offer: child’s name

From: ____ Family Bank, L.L.C.

Job Responsibilities:

• Fill out your chart Monday- Friday.
• Then, get my initials after job is completed and checked.
• Each initial is a point. 

In Return, you will receive every Saturday:

• 49-50 points: (your age in dollars per week)
• 45-48 points: You may write an online letter to a Compassion Child and then you get the whole amount.
• Between 30-44 points: You may write an online letter to a Compassion Child (and then you get half your amount).

Funds are paid weekly via The Family Bank on Saturday.

• You are responsible to keep track of your account in your bank ledger
• Then 20% goes to you savings account in the Real Bank
• After that, 10% goes to giving
• Finally, 70% goes to your account in the Family Bank for spending

Additional Considerations:

• First of all, you’ll do On-The-Job Training: the first two weeks consist of (paid) on the job training by either Mom or Dad.
• Second, take note of Added jobs. These are not the only jobs you will do around the house. YOU LIVE HERE; YOU WORK HERE. Mom or Dad reserve the right to add additional chores AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON. Additional chores may include but are not limited to:
  • Washing the dishes on an extra night
  • Saturday chores
  • Folding a load of clothes
  • Cleaning up a mess you did not make
  • Or, anything else at all
• Additionally, just as in a real job, you may face consequences if you work with a poor attitude. You will continue to do the job until it is right, and if you have a bad attitude you lose the chance for an initial for that job.
• Pay raise: The week of your birthday, we raise your pay $1 per week. Additionally, we will adjust your responsibilities.
• Finally, note the summer schedule / fall schedule: Be aware that we may change your jobs during non-school seasons. The employer has that right! She does what she wants. Ha.

Your FAQ (frequently asked questions)

How much money do I get?

• You get your age every week.

When do I get it?

• Every weekend, we will deposit money into your “account.” You will add this amount to your ledger and keep track of how much you have in the Family Bank.

Is it automatic or do I have to do something?

• No, it is not automatic. You have to do something. You have to turn in your weekly chart by Saturday bedtime. Then, you have to manually write the amount in your bank ledger.

Do I have to do my jobs for the day?

No. It is optional. You just will not get paid.

What if we are gone all day and I don’t finish my jobs?

• You don’t get paid.

What if we are on vacation and I don’t do my jobs?

• You don’t get paid.

What if I am sick and can’t do my jobs?

• You don’t get paid.

What if I do my job and it’s not done right?

– You don’t get paid.

So, let me get this straight. I only get paid if I do the work and do it right?

– Yes. You understand.

What if I know a day is going to be very busy, and I do my jobs ahead of time?

• You will get paid! ****If you request this change in advance.

Can I ever lose money for bad behavior?

– No. You will never lose money as punishment. Once you earn it, it is yours. However, you have to use that money to replace things.

What kinds of things will Mom and Dad still buy for me (that I don’t have to pay for)?

• Very basic clothing wardrobe (I will buy a few shirts, jeans, and shorts)
• One pair of cleats per year
• Your “name” gift for Christmas
• Birthday gifts for cousins
• Team registrations
• Your sports uniform. **But if you lose something then you have to pay to replace it.
• Meals 
• School supplies **I will buy enough to last a year. If we run out, or we lose our things I will split the cost between the three of you and take it out of your account. This includes scissors, colored pencils, regular pencils, etc.)

What kind of things do I need to buy with my own money?

• You will buy two church outfits per year: one long sleeve and pants in October and one short sleeve and shorts in April. If these get gross, wrinkled, or stained you have to replace them. 
• Socks. When you run out, you have to buy more. When they have holes, you have to buy more. If you have less than 9 pairs, you need to buy more.
• All Shoes. Boots, tennis shoes, crocks, etc. At bare minimum you must always have a pair that is nice enough for church, and a pair to run around in. If you don’t have any that fit, you have to buy more. 
• Gum 
• Book bag
• Sweatshirts or jackets
• Goggles
• Winter gloves or hat
• Batteries for laser guns or any other toys
• Christmas gifts for your siblings, parents, and grandparents
• Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts
• Anything you lose or break: water bottle, jacket, night light, etc
• Anything you damage or ruin that Mom and Dad deem unusable (an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, something left out in the rain, etc)
• Supplies for your hobbies (including anything you want to make and sell)

What happens when I want to buy something?

You will write a check to the Family Bank and mom or dad will purchase it for you. Then you will deduct the amount spent from your checkbook ledger.

Detailed Job Descriptions:

• “Big Sibling Camp” – You will create a list of activities to pull from to build a 30-minute camp for your younger sibling. You may include some of the following: sports, read her books, a craft, a snack, pretend play, worksheets which you provide, a board game, LEGOs, etc. Be creative! Let her have some say in what you pick.
• Steps to Clean A Bathroom:
  • Throw away all trash.
  • Take everything off of the floors and counters.
  • Vacuum the floor and the counter and the shower. Yes, the counter and shower.
  • Spray everything with Thieves Cleaner.
  • Put Toilet Cleaner in the toilet.
  • Get a washcloth wet with hot water.
  • Wipe off the sink.
  • Now clean the shower.
  • Scrub the inside of the toilet.
  • Using a Lysol wipe, wipe the toilet in this order: handle, top, lid, seat, under seat, throw away wipe, wash hands.
  • Spray the floor with some Thieves.
  • Wet your cloth again.
  • Step on it and wipe down the floor.
  • Replace all the toothbrushes and soap.
  • Get a new towel.
  • Be so proud of yourself.

*this will be laminated and attached to the bathroom cleaning basket.

Signing Bonus: *If employee accepts job offer, as incentive $30 will be immediately deposited into account as signing bonus. If employee quits job in less than one year, this $30 must be reimbursed to the Family Bank. 

Signature and Acceptance

I, ____________________________________, do hereby accept job offer from (your last name) Family Bank. I understand that my payment is contingent upon completing jobs, getting paper signed, and submitting weekly chart. Furthermore, I understand that jobs may be asked to be redone if not done well. I understand that if I have a bad attitude I will not receive initial.

Employee signature: ________________________________________ date: _________

Employer signature: _________________________________________ date: _________

Okay, ready to start? You can download an editable version of the above AND editable weekly chore lists (where I sign off that they have done their chores). You can also see there the specific chores everyone has.

Sign up below to receive your copy of Work and Allowance Contract.

—–> Click here to receive your own customizable copy. <—–

 

 

 

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