Ideas for earning an allowance?

Children learn by example, each day of the week they see their respective parents go off to work each morning and return each evening, earning money for which they provide the necessities of life. This is a great motivator if used in relation to their school responsibilities. Explaining to your child that his or her school attendance is much like Dad and his work, will allow him or her to make the necessary connection to the importance of academic achievement. They each have a very important job to do which carries responsibility. Dad goes to work each weekday in order to provide for the family, and your child also goes to school each weekday in order to provide for his or her future. Your child  will see that his attendance and commitment to his grades will pay dividends much like Dad's weekly pay check. They will be able to connect good school attendance and grades to good paydays at the end of the week. This will in turn produce a good work ethic and hopefully ensure a positive academic experience for Mom, Dad and child alike.

At our home, we have a chore list. Once that is complete then the children may be asked to help with additional chores. The more they help, the more we praise and reward them. Although, we don't raise the allowance all the time. We may say You have helped so much with laundry, I will help you with this. They seem to appreciate the respect and break just as much as the money.