A young girl washes dishes. Another young girl waters plants. A young boy feeds a dog.

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Should Kids Get Paid to Do Chores?

August 31, 2020

Do you set the table, make your bed, or take out the trash? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of kids do chores like these. For many of them, it’s a way to make extra cash. In a 2018 survey of more than 1,000 kids, nearly 40 percent said they got an allowance from their parents for doing chores.

Some experts say that paying kids to do chores helps teach them the value of hard work. Others argue that when kids earn their own cash for doing chores, they learn how to be responsible with their money. That’s a skill they’ll need when they grow up.

But others say kids should help out without expecting to be rewarded. After all, they say, parents don’t get paid to do housework. Why should kids? Plus, they point out that parents already pay for just about everything for their children, from clothing to vacations.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

My mom recently started giving me an allowance for helping out around the house. Before that, I sometimes got lazy when I was asked to do chores. But once I knew that loading the dishwasher or making my bed would earn me a few bucks, I only had to be asked once.

The money I earn also allows me to buy stuff without asking my parents for extra money.

It’s not wrong to get paid to do a job. After all, adults don’t work for free!

Getting paid to do chores is like getting paid to wash your hands. Both are things that you should be expected to do without pay. My brother and I don’t get paid for chores. We help make things messy, so we help clean up.

When I’m an adult, I won’t get paid to clean my own home. I might as well learn that now.

Besides, my parents spend a lot of money taking care of me and paying for stuff like piano lessons. I don’t need to get paid to do chores.