Growing up my sisters and I did not earn an allowance for chores we did around the house.

My mother’s philosophy was you are a member of this family who also lives in this house. Part of your responsibility of being a contributing member is to keep your room and bathroom clean, and to pick up after yourself.

Her point was simple. I shouldn’t have to pay you to be a helpful member of this family.

To this day I agree with her point of view, and I also believe having your children do chores around the house for no money is also more beneficial than allowing them to earn an allowance.

Of course many parents will either agree or disagree with me on this, but before you wonder, “Why is this article including allowance when she doesn’t advocate for it?” allow me to elaborate.

Chores teach children responsibility and how to do basic adult tasks that schools don’t teach as part of their curriculum. But beyond learning to make their bed, doing chores teaches children how to make decisions and be confident in the decisions they are making.

It teaches them to problem solve and get inventive when they feel like they don’t know how to do something. It teaches them to try and to put forth their best effort to complete a task.

This may seem common knowledge but there is actually a demand for “Adulting Schools” because young adults are realizing they have a degree in chemistry but don’t know how to pay an online bill.

Now is the part where an allowance comes into play. Although I wasn’t paid for making my bed or keeping my room clean, I did earn money for good grades and going above and beyond what was asked of me.

For example, If I got straight A’s I was rewarded with money. If I agreed to babysit my sisters on a Saturday night I was paid for my work.

I still learned the value of a dollar because I learned how hard I had to work for it. In the real world no one is going to pay you for waking up and making your bed, but you will earn a paycheck for going to work and doing your job.

Children can start to learn about the value of a dollar and basic life skills as early as kindergarten. It all starts at home and with a little education, kids will be well on their way to building life skills that will help them throughout adulthood.