Moms Talk: Do You Pay Your Child to Do Yard Work?

If your yard is like mine, fall means one of the biggest clean-ups of the year, before a single leaf falls.

There are summer vegetables and flowering plants to cut down and clear out, in addition to months’ worth of smilax, wisteria and every other green pest you can imagine.

As satisfying as the work is when it’s over, the process isn’t often loads of fun.

All the more reason we enlist the help of our young son.

He’s old enough to do a good bit of bagging, dragging and wheelbarrow filling, though he isn’t always the most willing participant.

So we offer him financial incentive for his efforts, but only if his attitude is a good one.

What about you? Do you pay your kids extra for tough jobs, give them a weekly allowance that covers everything, or expect them to pitch in as part of the family? Tell us in the comments!