My kids never received a regular allowance, however if they did certain chores around the house they did sometimes receive money.  Keeping their rooms clean, setting the table, doing the dishes once in a blue moon were expected.  They’d also have to run the vacuum cleaner, dust, and keep their laundry picked up off the bathroom floor.

However, when the kids went “above and beyond” like washing the car or trimming the hedges or cooking dinner, they were rewarded with some allowance.  Or if we had company coming and had to do a cleaning blitz throughout the entire house, I’d pay them $10 or so.

I find myself agreeing with Miranda Marquit’s thoughts on the subject,

I agree that teaching children the importance of hard work is important, and teaching them to earn money is important. But I’m not paying my seven year old for chores he should be doing because he’s a part of the family. I am trying to teach him that there is satisfaction derived from doing good work as part of the family, even if you don’t get paid for it.

Allowance is definitely not a “gimme” in my house. The kids get everything they need – from clothes to food to money to attend a football game or see a movie.  To get these things, they can do their chores.  To get extra, they can take on babysitting jobs, wash the cars, or other non-standard chores.

Erin has a Facebook account.  Not very many people DON’T have Facebook accounts these days.  I watch her account fairly closely to make sure that she minds her manners and that her friends do the same.

However, my phone started ringing this afternoon at about 4:45 p.m. from parents calling about a photo that was posted.  It was pornography and my daughter was tagged in the picture.

It seems like Erin accepted a friend request from a “girl” who was also friends with 20 other of her friends.  She accepted it thinking, “Oh. She must go to my high school.”  About three days later the photo appeared.  I won’t say what it was and I know the definition of “obscene” is based on how a local community defines it.  But I assure you, no matter what community you live in – even by the loosest standards – that community would say, “Oh heck no.  That is obscene!”

Thankfully I had my daughter’s password so went in to the account, reported Hillary C. (email me if you want to know her full name) to the administrators at Facebook, untagged my daughter’s picture, and unfriended her.  I had to do all that in order to remove it from everyone’s pages… from her grandparents, our family friends, aunts, uncles, cousins… and all 546 friends she has.

I think it’s time she cleans up her friend list.  Or I’ll be doing it for her.  Keep an eye on your child’s accounts, parents.  Bad things happen to good people.

Photo by Lawton Chiles via flickr creative commons.

My brother came for a visit this past week to do some contracting work for me.  I must say I was impressed that he did his fair share of diaper changing, tucking kids into bed, pulling them out of danger’s way (outlets, fireplace hearth), and generally being responsible as a parent.

Not all parents share equally in the tasks of raising children.  I know my husband and I argued over changing diapers (especially the stinky ones).  He didn’t mind putting the babies to bed, but when one of us had to get up in the middle of the night it was usually me.

That’s why I was impressed with seeing a Dad really pitch in to help – most of the time without his wife asking.  I know in today’s society we should share the burdens and joys of raising children, but it is refreshing to actually see the concept in action!

Play time for a boy and his dog.

Washing the sliding door time for Aunt Kathy.

My 1-year old niece and 2-year old nephew are visiting.  We were bad and drove through McDonald’s for lunch to feed the whole family.

My brother reminded me about how a certain physical act rather dictates a parents day when he asked if we had any green beans or other green veggies the kids could eat along with the chicken nuggets.  The vegetables help their digestion and we like for the digestion to work properly.

Yes, I had forgotten that was always one of the first questions I asked when picking up my daughter from day care, “Has she gone Number Two?”  It’s very unpleasant when they don’t go for too long.

Ahhhh… those were the days!

Photo by iandeth via flickr creative commons.

I have discovered one sure-fire way to get kids to help around the house without resorting to yelling, threatening, or bringing Dr. Spock psychology into the picture. Find a lost kitty.

I give you Cali the Calico.  (Original, I know…)

She was abandoned with her brothers and sisters in some woods along a deserted road.  The other kittens were saved but Cali eluded the rescuers for weeks.  Until I came along with a soft voice and a can of cat food.  (Just call me the cat whisperer)…

Now I’d like to find another home for her and – in fact – have found not one, but TWO takers.  But I’m out-voted in the family.  Instead I say, “If you want to keep Cali then I need to see some more personal responsibility.  Go feed the dogs!  Clean up your room!”

And the work is getting done.  Maybe I will let this cat stay.

It’s finally come down to a question of protecting our property at my house.  About three months ago, some kids pranked my daughter and ordered about 10 pizzas to be delivered.  It made me feel really badly for the Domino’s delivery man.

About two months ago, someone egged our house and cars.  At that point, I called the parents of the suspects and we chatted.  Both denied their children were involved although the dogs “for some reason” barked like crazy about 30 minutes after our house was “attacked” (we think perhaps the kids was coming back home about that time and the dogs were barking at him).

Then last week our car windows were shaving creamed, door handles and gas tank covers were smeared with petroleum jelly, and our bushes were toilet papered.  We filed a police report.

Now I just hope they come back.

Come on you little hooligans! We’re ready for you with our new security camera!!

Rocket FTW!

Thanks, Joe! )

I know some people hate memes – those little survey that people answer that require little thought and effort.  Clearly the haters don’t understand that when you’re looking 100 questions right straight in the face, “no effort” does not compute!  And the older you get, the harder it is to remember that first date or first car (it was brown, okay?!) so answering all the questions *can* be challenging!

So Busy Mom’s answers had me snickering!  An example:

What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?

Origins Spring Fever. I don’t think they make it anymore, and I am bent out of shape about it. I am also stinky.

Me? I use a vanilla spray from one of those smelly stores you find in the mall.