Giving Children an Allowance Does More Good Than Harm
PRO (6 arguments)
Define:
Allowance: a commission given to children after successfully completing a chore or duty_ a small reward_ parent’s discretion on what to reward or not_ in it’s perfect sense; we’re debating whether the idea of allowance would work in a perfect world, not whether it would work in today’s ever-changing society
Children: People aged 4-16
More good than harm: more good than harm to the child
Allowance gives kids money management skills and responsibility, two key life lessons that take years to acquire. We cannot expect our youth to pick up these skills quickly in adulthood, when they are occupied on many other pressing issues and their personalities and attitudes toward life are already fully molded and unchangeable. If we want our children to succeed in life, then we need to start instilling life values in them when they are young, or never.
According to a study conducted by the Associated Press, by the time a child reaches the age of 14-15 their ability to plan for the future and their personalities and values towards life are usually “set in stone”.
By teaching kids how to handle their own money from an early age, kids will acquire an increasing sense of confidence to make their own choices. They won’t feel they always need to turn to other people to make decisions for them. Because of their exposure to money at an early age, they will have developed good habits and will be better able to handle increased responsibility as they get older. Also, confidence translates to other areas of life: school, athletics, personal.
Poll conducted by Gallup-15000 people aged 8-15 were surveyed whether they were confident in their money management skills or not. Of them, 71% of them said that they had confidence in their money management skills. And of this percentage, over 96% of them received an allowance. 96% of the people who were confident in themselves received an allowance! No allowance= no confidence
As parents work with their kids on concepts, they will have the opportunity to discuss thousands of topics. That’s because money issues affect virtually every area of our lives. And the parent won’t be seen as a person who only says “Don’t do that” or “No” They will now be seen as generous people, encouraging kids through positive means.
150 people who didn’t receive an allowance when they were young and 150 others who did were surveyed by NYTimes. Only 13% of those who didn’t receive an allowance said that they remained in contact with their parents at least once a month. For the 150 that did receive an allowance, though, over 75% of them stated that they regularly contacted their parents and were happy with life.
Allowance is a two-use tool. By giving a child an allowance, you are positively reinforcing good values and behavior. By not giving an allowance because they misbehaved, for instance, you teach the child that what they did was wrong in an indirect yet still meaningful manner that they can accept.
Elizabeth Swan, a professor of psychology, stated through the NYTimes that “Allowance is a great way of discipline for young children. It is much better than its contemporaries, such as physical or verbal punishment, and in most cases, is easily understood by the child because they realize that an allowance is a privilege in the first place, not a right."
In the real world, people are paid monetary amounts for jobs that they successfully complete. It teaches kids how the real world works and how to succeed and thrive in it. Without allowance, children would be left in the cold when they are forced to find a job and move away because they wouldn’t be used to any of the new things that suddenly occur after they become adults.
Time and practice make perfect. By giving our children tons of time to prepare for the realities of adulthood and money management through allowance, they will be better set and prepared for life in the future.
When children complete dozens of chores around the house, this can reduce the myriad of housework needed to be completed by the parents. By giving your child a few cents to do a long, backbreaking chore that younger, more energetic people would have an easier time completing, parents can save tons of time and do more important things w/ their time.