# Allowance for kids



## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Curious how your kids all made money. I have a foster teen and am a bit conflicted on how I should go about it. He's of the attitude that he's expected to help do things and not be paid for it because that's just what you do. I don't disagree necessarily. But he has things he wants to buy too and it's tough when you don't have money.

He's still in his early teen years and not real strong, kind of a small framed kid. But he's still been pretty good help for me and is a really intelligent kid. I've told him I'll pay him to stand on the wagon and throw hay, but he's worried about that because the bales are too heavy for him and he's worried he'll be too slow for the other guys. I told him he could still drag the bales off as they come out the chute. The most important thing isn't how fast you work, but that you commit to the job and finish the job. He hasn't had to do a lot of hard work in the past. The other kids who work for me are two 15 year old twins and an 18 year old and they're worth their weight in gold; they could probably outwork a lot of us here. But they're great kids and I know would be really helpful to him as well, and help teach him.

He's motivated to do hay because he wants to get into airsoft. I told him if he bought an airsoft gun, I'd buy one too, which only motivates him more. You work hard so you can play hard, is what I tell him.

The other option would be we assign specific chores around the place that are above and beyond his daily duties expected of him, and then pay allowance for that. And how much?

Getting an off-farm job is probably out of the question at this point.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Growing up I got a $10 a week allowance for doing easy chores. When I started doing some of the same jobs unsupervised as the grown men I got $2/hour. When I could replace a grown man I got paid the same as the grown men. Before middle school I could replace any of the hired help, I got paid the same and got my first dirt bike for my birthday. By high school I could replace anybody on the farm including Dad (except for doing AI) I got paid the same as the hired help and got my first vehicle even though I had to pay for plates, insurance, gas, repairs, tires, etc. Course with the added perks came added responsibilities, like if somebody called in sick, didn't matter what I might have planned, I could do their job so it was expected of me to replace them.

It's up to you to decide just what a kid can handle.

By time I was in middle school I was rebuilding small engines and my own dirt bikes. My little brother on the other hand was in high school before tackling changing a set of spark plugs.

I was running silage wagons and gravity boxes up and down a state highway with a tractor before I was out of middle school, don't think Dad ever let my little brother do that even after graduating high school.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I never had an allowance growing up. I did what was expected of me, and in return if there was something special I wanted, my parents would get it for me eventually. When I was 12, dad gave me 5 acres to play with. He said I could do what I wanted with that 5 acres and he would front me the money to put in a crop. Since it was cheap, I picked oats as we always need oats for calf and lamb rations and bedding. That first year I grew 98 bpa oats and 108 bales per acre straw. Sold 100 bushels of oats and 150 bales of straw to pay dad back and to cover my costs for the next year. Some of the best lessons I ever learned was from that first crop of oats.

Is there any way you could help him out that way? Good way for him to learn responsibility and that there's nothing wrong with an honest days work. A good lesson for him as using his brain is just as important as using his brawn, work smarter not harder kinda deal. 5 acres of oats still doesn't cost much to put in, and is a fairly short growing season as he would have his income before he heads back to school.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

We did the same thing with sheep. We gave each daughter a ewe lambs several years ago. They cover their own expenses and make their own breeding and marketing decisions. They are currently 12 and 14 and currently have 4 and 7 ewes. You can't teach that experience in school.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

When I was 12 my parents bought me 50 chicks. They covered the cost til they started laying eggs and I did the work. Sold eggs on Saturday afternoon and then used that to buy feed. Built up to almost 300 chickens and did it til college. Definitely taught money management and people skills. Wouldn't do it any other way.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

A project such as raising some livestock or crop on his own teaches ALOT more then a allowance.But that is a longer term commitment so IDK if that will work for your situation.

By the way what is a allowance?

Different strokes for different folks!

I have noticed a trend that some now draw a wage from framing operation for family living,and some are quite high.Have to pay for all them toys and vacations!So even in a poor year they still draw the same wage as they did in a good year.I was just wondering to myself how this correlates to how they were brought up.Spend your allowance ( wage) as fast as you get it or save up your profit for the next batch of livestock and improvements.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Neither my wife or I was given an allowance growing up, and money management was never discussed. We gave our kids an allowance for the sole purpose of teaching them money management skills from an early age. We wanted to show and grow them in the skill of being, and results of being a saver. Using envelopes they designated 10% to 'Giving', 50% to 'Save', 40% to 'Spending'. When they had accumulated some save we would deposit to their childhood savings accounts. With the spending envelope we would talk them through purchase decisions, and explain if you wanted something bigger you needed to wait for a while rather than empty that envelope as soon as it had something in it. You're doing a great thing HayJosh, and I really like the idea of jobs above and beyond normal responsibilities. Put the opportunities out there with a flat or hourly rate, and give him the chance to see first hand that work/effort has it's rewards.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Raising the livestock and crops aren't things I can do but it got me thinking along that same wavelength. Was driving home from work tonight and saw somebody's golf cart with a custom paint job for sale along the road. That was my eureka moment. I'm a trained painter, I've painted a cart before, so went home and pitched my idea to kid: we get a few custom cart jobs to paint this summer. I teach him how to do all the scuffing/sanding/degreasing/washing/prep work and I'll spray them, and do an even split on the pay. He was crazy for the idea.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

That's a great idea Hayjosh!


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Good thinking Hayjosh!!


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

I had posted the ad on Facebook and literally got three messages within 15 min of posting it. His face lit up every time my phone made a new ding. One guy had 10 carts and two old garden tractors he wants painted. Not sure if he will go with us for the carts for sure but will do the garden tractors most likely.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Every time I was tempted to give my kids an allowance, I was also tempted to ask them for an allowance for changing every one of their dirty, stinking diapers. Hahahaha


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