Friday, August 29, 2008

teaching about missions or cheap labor?

My son's "Dog House" class at church (age 4-K) is teaching about missions and raising money for some missionaries. The teachers encouraged the kids to go home and do jobs around the house for money, then bring it in and give it to the missionaries.

If they raise $50, they get a small party.

My son was EXCITED. I'm not sure if the excitement was for the missionaries or the pizza party. All I know is that now he now wants to do all kinds of small jobs around the house.

it. is. great.

However, the funny thing, he doesn't know the difference between two nickles and two quarters. And he would rather have a small pile of pennies than a dollar bill.

So...I have an ethical situation at hand.

Do I hand him a handful of small change to do work around the house, which he gets genuinely excited about. Or is their a fair-trade issue at hand for preschool chores?

What is the going rate for preschool chores and allowance?

Am I encouraging my son to work for missions, or am I just happy that he will help clear off the table and feed the dog for chump change?

4 comments:

Kathi said...

I *never* paid my kids to do chores - whether they were preschoolers or teenagers - unless the chores were completely out of the ordinary.

Things like washing dishes, sweeping the floor - they did as cooperative members of the family.

If, however, I wanted the kitchen floor scrubbed or every light fixture washed or every window in the house shining, I'd pay them a little.

It's hard to guage something like that for a preschooler - agewise they're not capable of "big" chores.

Anonymous said...

i pay kt $25/month, so maybe half that.

Anonymous said...

I don't vote for cheap labor, that would be morally wrong. I vote for free labor. When he's done working around your house, send him to my place, I have lots of weeds that need pulling.

-wk

.phil said...

i think he should get about 5 or 10 bucks for mowing the lawn...