"Pay Jobs" in detail

Doing "Pay Jobs" is how my four children earn money for the extras they want that go beyond the needs and few extras we provide for them. "Pay Jobs" are additional jobs that go beyond their normal "you have to do because you are part of this family" chores. I had a couple of people ask me for more details.....

What has worked for our family: Please know that this is what is working for our family, but remember that each family is different.

Normal "because you are part of the family" chores include:
making beds, cleaning bedroom, picking up toys, putting away laundry/bringing dirty laundry down to the laundry room, being responsible for all personal items, setting and clearing the table before and after meals, helping with preparing of meals as I ask, being my "runner"... for example running to the barn to get me ___ from the freezer, performing their daily morning and evening routines, feeding the animals, haul in groceries from the van, etc. (This list isn't all inclusive... just what I could think of off the top of my head)

"Pay Jobs"
I will divide these up by children since I have such a wide range of ages..... Wes and Robyn also did their first "Pay Job" for our neighbor last summer. They painted her fence and she paid them! It was a wonderful experience for them to learn and grow in addition to getting paid!!! I hope that they have more and more opportunities like this in the future. As far as amount of "pay" goes, that is something you have to decide on your own. We have a set pay scale for these jobs. Sometimes they HAVE to do them whether they WANT to or not (firewood, yard work and trash).

Wes (age 11)

• Helps with fire wood (getting fire wood split and hauled home is a family affair)
• Haul wood from the wood pile up to the house
• Keep the wood pile IN the house well stocked (This is HIS responsibility! If I have to get the wood in from the house he has failed to take care of HIS responsibility. He does earn more money in the winter than in the summer plus he has gotten MUCH stronger.)
  
• Trash duty (he takes the trash out daily and puts it out for pick up)
• Barn work (any thing I need help with)
• Yard work (picking up sticks, racking leaves, weeding)
• Clean out /vacuum vehicles
• House cleaning (dust, vacuum, sweep, etc)
• Kitchen clean up (unload/load dishwasher, hand wash dishes, put away dishes, wipe down counters, etc)
• Use shop vac to vacuum up under couch cushions, around the edges of the rooms, on the stairs, etc
• Wash the Vehicles
• Clean windows
  
• Anything else I need done
• Pay jobs for others
  

Robyn (almost 10)

• Help with the firewood
• Barn work (any thing I need help with)
• Yard work (picking up sticks, racking leaves, weeding)
• Clean out /vacuum vehicles
• Fold laundry
• Sort socks (you know the collection of socks with out their mate)
• House cleaning (dust, vacuum, sweep, etc)
• Deep clean the tub/shower (we don't use harsh chemicals)
• Kitchen clean up (unload/load dishwasher, hand wash dishes, put away dishes, wipe down counters, etc)
• Use shop vac to vacuum up under couch cushions, around the edges of the rooms, on the stairs, etc
• Wash the vehicles
• Clean windows
  
• Anything else I need done
• Pay jobs for others
  

Ethan (JUST turned 6)

• Help with firewood
• Bring in kindling
• help Wes haul in wood
• Barn work (any thing I need help with)
• Yard work (picking up sticks, racking leaves, weeding)
  
• House cleaning (dust, vacuum, sweep, etc) It really is amazing what young kids can learn how to do and how to do it well!
• Use shop vac to vacuum up under couch cushions, around the edges of the rooms, on the stairs, etc
• HELP wash vehicles
  
• Be MY helper (although he is really getting past this stage... he has lots of REAL skills and I can just turn more and more completely over to him)
  

Nate (4 1/2)

• Help with firewood
• Bring in kindling
• help Wes haul in wood
• Barn work (any thing I need help with)
• Yard work (picking up sticks, racking leaves, weeding)
• House cleaning (dust, vacuum, sweep, etc)
• Use shop vac to vacuum up under couch cushions, around the edges of the rooms, on the stairs, etc
• HELP wash vehicles
  
• Be MY "helper"... working along side me...
  

Different seasons of the year bring different jobs... my mind is used to "winter jobs" right now, I am sure that there are many additional "summer" jobs I have not listed! Obviously the "quality" of the job completed gets more strict as the children get older. I do not have the same expectations for the youngest that I have for the oldest. I have pretty high standards.... they are capable of doing a job well. Children live up to expectations.. set them high (not unreachable) and they will rise to the occasion!

I am raising future ADULTS not future CHILDREN!!!! They will NEED these skills!!!

If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment. I am interested in hearing about what works for your family!!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather