My brother and I were quite spoiled. We had chores to do, but it amounted to either doing the dishes or running the vacuum once a day. Sometimes I’d have to pull weeds in the garden, and as my brother got older he was supposed to help mow and take care of the dogs. We usually managed to avoid the chores until the last possible second and only did them under threat of bodily harm. We were also given money for grades. Straight A’s on a report card earned me $50 and was something I didn’t even have to work at most of the time.
For this, we had an allowance. We were also handed whatever money we wanted, within reason, pretty much just for asking. Sometimes my dad would add on an extra chore. When I was in grade school, I had enough of my own money to walk to a local shopping center and buy a book or a record. Gah, I’m OLD! When I was older, if I went shopping with my mom I could talk her into buying me almost anything I wanted in the way of books, CDs (OK, I’m not that old I guess), clothes, or just random crap. I was literally given every single thing on my Christmas or birthday list.
When I turned 15, I got my first job at a pizza place. I worked part-time through most of high school and spent all of my money on myself. :) If I wanted something else, I’d ask my parents. In college, my dad insisted I only work during the summer so he supplied me with spending money while I was at school. The money from my summer jobs, which were usually full-time, paid for gas, time out with my friends, and weekend trips or concerts. When fall rolled around and I headed off to school again, I was broke and would hit my dad up for money.
He’s probably amazed that since I graduated and moved away I haven’t asked him for a dime! My husband was raised in very much the same way. We both know we were spoiled and didn’t learn to be responsible for ourselves until pretty late in life. Our kids are expected to do certain chores but they don’t get an allowance for it. They can earn an allowance by doing extra things around the house. We mainly avoid buying them things unless it is Christmas or their birthdays (except books, which I’ll happily buy for them any time), and we don’t go crazy like my parents used to. So far they seem to be learning better than I did. They don’t expect to be handed everything they want or sit in their rooms and pout until they get their way like, um, some people may have done in the past (cough cough).