Allowance

I don't really give an allowance, but I came up with this great idea of how the girls could earn money and help around the house (moreso than they already do). It sounded perfect and I was busily making lists of all the possibilities and ideas.

The girls came home and I proposed my idea. It got really quiet and Em said "A dollar? All that for a dollar? I can make more money by selling a book or stuff than I can doing a bunch of extra work."

Where did I go wrong??? When I was growing up we used to get our age multiplied by our grade. So in 2nd grade I was 7 years old and got 14 cents. We were paid once a year and then driven directly to the bank to deposit our "wealth". Once we figured out that we were getting ripped off, the allowance stopped.

In Em's defense, she does keep her room clean, help with Andrew, and help around the house as needed, so I guess I shouldn't try and fix a system that isn't too broken. I'll have to come up with a new plan.

Any ideas? How much allowance is too much? I just can't see a 6 and 10 year old getting $5 a week or more.