The Allowance is BACK!

I am somewhat ashamed to admit that we are on our fourth attempt at implementing a regular allowance. Yes, we've been down this road many times before. However, we are ready to give it another go and this time we've made some changes.

Gone are the work charts, stickers, and weekly wages. We've moved on to something different. Our new and improved process involves teamwork, a couple of jars and some pennies. Our new tactic is the Appreciation Jar and here is how it works……

My four kids have been paired into cleaning teams. Each pair has their regular chores. You know, the ones that every kid should do just because they are a part of a family. Like make his/her bed, clean his/her room, take out the trash, etc. The kids each have 3-4 regular jobs that fall into this "Just Because" category (which they do not receive any compensation for).

How they earn their money is by doing chores (without being asked) that are outside of their regular weekly duties. And each time they do something helpful, thoughtful, etc. a penny is dropped into that teams' Appreciation Jar. The pennies are then traded in for dollars at the end of the month (you didn't think they would be motivated by pennies alone did you?) and the kitty is then split between the members of each clean team.

If you are wondering why we opted for team rather than individual jars and monthly payouts versus weekly, it was mainly out of convenience. Managing four jars and weekly payouts was more than I wanted to handle. I needed to set this up where it would be successful for all those involved (including me).

So far we are off to a good start. The jars are not exactly brimming with pennies, but pennies are being added at regular pace. The only issue we've had are complaints about fellow team members---evidently two of my kids feel have been paired with slackers.

Anyway, we'll see how long it lasts. At least for today, the laundry has been folded, the bathrooms have been straightened, and the dishwasher has been emptied. And do you know what the best part of all of this is? I didn't have to ask.