It seems like everyday this kid of mine is wanting to go somewhere and do something. He’s 14 and I get it. But it costs money for the kids to do things. He’s not got a job. So what do you do? I’ve got the answers. Here’s how to help your kids earn money and a chore chart printable for you too.

How to help your kids earn money

I just got a full time job. I needed the job so my kids and I would have insurance. My husband’s insurance jumped to $1400/month. Now who can afford that? So I found a job with insurance. The kids and I pay $80/wk for the privilege of high deductible healthcare. I have to work for the things I want. So he should too. This weekend we had the chance to work on instilling in him that we value money. 

When you value money you understand the hard work that goes into earning it for the benefit of being able to spend it. I need the lightbulb to go off so he understands that I have to work and work hard to get the money I spend to buy us groceries, insurance, school supplies, shoes and more. We had a nice lesson this weekend about how to get him to understand that he needs to earn money. 

He’s asked to go to the local game arcade with his friends tomorrow. So I’m not just handing over the money for him to go to that. Today he’s working for it. He’s got to clean his room. I mean really clean it. I’ve let him get by with not really cleaning it. This time it will be clean and vacuumed and straightened. No clutter pockets either!  

He’s doing dishes twice and cooking once. Then he will be cleaning his bathroom. Do you have a system in place for the kids to earn money? Do they have a chore chart? We normally don’t but if I have to work for it then he should to. I need him to get that in this life we work for the things we want.

Today he’s mad. Tomorrow he will be happy he got to go.  The fact that he got the funds by working for it will help him add value to himself and his self esteem. If we’re not instilling in them that you work for what you want what are we instilling in them? 

I made my own chore chart for teens and tweens this weekend. This way when he wants to do something he can go to that chart and pick what he wants to do to earn money. Here’s some ideas I came up with for the chore chart. 

Making Dinner

Do dishes without asking

Sweep and mop

Clean the bathrooms, bathtub, toilet and floors

Clean out the kitty litter without being asked

Sweep the porch, deck and sidewalk

Wash bedding

Do laundry

Vacuum stairs

Clean moms bathroom, tub, toilet and floors

Here’s our chore chart printable! 

 

I’ve made it this way so you can laminate it or buy clear contact paper and the kids can initial and date the day it was done. This way you can reuse it over and over again. Just right click the link below and let it pop up. Then hit print. Laminate and hang on fridge.

Kids Earning Money chore chart

Just click above and download our kids chore chart and put those kids to work so that they understand the value of money too.

I’m happy to have had this teaching moment for our family. Sometimes it seems like we all have all the answers. When really we’re all just trying to figure this parenting thing out one day at a time. Am I right? 

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