What do you think about the idea of an allowance?

• No to an allowance because money should be earned and not “given.”

• No to an allowance because chores should be freely done as part of being a family in which everyone helps out.

• Yes to an allowance because children need to learn how to handle money.

• Yes to an allowance because children need to understand more about what it means to “earn” money.

  

Sometimes our best thinking means thinking about  “and” rather than “or.” Sometimes we can like more than one idea even if they seem very different from one another. AND, using one idea may not mean having to reject another one.

Perhaps combining ideas about an allowance can work in your family. Children could have basic chores that are unpaid, but are expected because everyone in the family helps out (for example, making their bed, feeding a pet, cleaning up toys). AND, children could earn money for certain jobs because in the real world people work to earn money and need to know how to handle their money (for example, pulling weeds, emptying the clothes dryer, helping to wash the car).