Chores and Mom Bucks

Noah will be 9 in a couple months. I can’t believe how old he is getting so fast. He has so many new interests which I love, he also still loves LEGOs. He is definitely old enough to do chores too. We sat down one day together and created a job chart based on what we both thought he could do every day. Most of the stuff on it is daily things he should be doing anyways. Some of the items on his chore list are things like brushing his teeth twice a day without me having to remind him, picking up his toys and a couple weekly chores that he has to do as needed like emptying the dishwasher and putting away clothes.  The most important “chore” he has I think is having a happy attitude. He is a great kid but sometimes he gets grumpy or he tries to push the limits.  We also agreed that he would receive an allowance for successfully completing his chores each day.

He receives what he calls mom bucks. I thought that it was fair because it will start to teach him about money and spending. He has to use his allowance for new toys, new books or new games. I will give him an occasional treat but most of the time it’s his responsibility to pay for it. He is also learning about making good choices by not blowing all his money on something silly. I do have the right to say no on occasion. Once he wanted to buy sea monkeys with his allowance and I was the mean mom and said no way Noah J!  If I know we are going somewhere special, I will have him save his money because I know he will want something to remember the trip to the aquarium or wherever it may be.

Noah also came up with the idea of having a catalog of things he can buy with mom bucks. Some of them are extra computer time, getting to stay up later, having a movie night, and extra dessert. I totally love that he came up with that so he isn’t always getting something tangible. It also helps on the extra junk we bring home from the store. He has actually decided not to buy things on his own. He is also learning that once it’s gone the money is spent. He seems to be more responsible and he is more aware and determined to get his chores done now. It makes my job easier and I am not constantly stepping on toys all the time.

For chore ideas based on your child’s age check out this post about Kids and Chores.