Shutterstock.com; Debate photos courtesy of familes

Should Kids Get Paid to Do Chores?

January 4, 2021

Do you set the table for dinner? Take out the trash? For many kids, chores like these are a part of everyday life. And some kids get an allowance, or payment, for doing them. There are even phone apps that keep track of chores kids do—and let adults electronically pay them!

Some people say that paying kids to do chores gets them to lend a hand. But others argue that kids should help out without expecting rewards.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

I think kids should get paid to do chores. My mom 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 loading the dishwasher or making my bed would earn me a few bucks, I only had to be asked once.

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

Getting paid for doing chores is like getting paid for washing 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 dirty, so we help clean up. When we are adults, no one will pay us for cleaning our own space. Also, my parents already spend a lot of money to take care of me and buy things for me.