East Meets West Over Allowance Rules

My brother has used this form to good effect. But I'm chasing a different dream.

My brother, who lives in the Eastern Time Zone, drafted the above document to incentivize good behavior for his seven-year-old. The above shows a daily list of chores that when successfully completed translate to a point system. More points equal more weekly allowance cash.

This is a fairly new system in his household, but he reports that so far it has brought a good level of compliance, especially for subjective areas like "Demonstrate polite and respectful behavior to parents and adults" (under bonus points).

Our allowance system is detached from household chores and its main purpose is to breed some sort of self responsibility. Our weekly allowance rules are as follows:

• Kid must ask for allowance on Friday, if he/she forgets then cash is forfeited
• Amount equals half age minus 10 percent for charity
• If money is not put in safe place, it will be taken away

 We get compliance on chores the old fashioned way -- by making parenting faces of concern and disappointment (and then screaming) -- and eventually threatening a reduction in screen time.

Readers of this blog are given all sorts of sociological and cultural ammunition to craft theories on differences in parenting styles between the Republic of Portland and the Eastern Time Zone.

Obviously I like our system best because I don't have to take out the clipboard and make official inspection rounds, interview witnesses, or call up educators every night. But our system does have some obvious drawbacks.

This past Friday I was on the verge of slumber in my darkened sleep chamber and I hear the door open. Illness? Nightmare? I wonder as I quickly become alert. "Daddy, can I have my allowance?"

I ruled she could have her allowance this time only, but the new rule was the Friday window of opportunity ended when the lights went off.