The Chore Chart

My husband and I started a "chore chart" for our daughter Sophia about a month ago. We sat down and discussed with her the things she should be responsible for each day. It was very important to her that she agree with each decision.

The payoff for her is "pay day" at the end of each week. So, she wanted to know how much money she would get and how we would keep track. Being a creative child, she ran to her white board and drew a weekly calendar with the "jobs" written down. We mark down smiles for each completed activity. Each smile earns her .15 - if she doesn't do the thing with a good attitude or doesn't do it at all, then she gets a frown. They are worth nothing.

The payoff for us (we hope) is her increased sense of responsibility, a better attitude toward work, and the chance for us to teach her how to handle money well from a young age. We've been teaching her the importance of giving to the work of God and other worthy causes, of saving for future spending and for the unexpected, and of spending wisely.

She is only 8, but already has the urge to shop recreationally. She loves stuff and loves spending. She used to ask us often to buy her things that she wanted but didn't need -- like more WebKinz. Ever since she started earning her own money, we've seen a change in her attitude toward and relationship to money. She actually cares about saving now! She even saved most of her birthday money - in order to start a savings account at the bank! That is real progress. We have a long way to go, but the fruit is beginning to form.