Sasha and Malia's allowance: Is Dad being cheap?

[bluestateguy]

Everybody’s talking about a fiscal stimulus package to pull the country out of recession, but a recent article on kiplinger.com argues that first tweens Sasha and Malia deserve a stimulus package of their own.

Barack and Michelle Obama have been quoted as saying they give their daughters a dollar a week if they do their chores. Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, says it’s time Sasha and Malia demanded a raise. She advises giving kids a weekly allowance of about half their age: that’s $3.50 for Sasha and $5 for Malia. For that money, they should be expected to do extra chores.

“With an allowance, kids learn how to be patient and save money for something they really want. They use their own money—not someone else’s—to buy their things. In short, they take on more personal responsibility,” Bodnar says.

more

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/baltimoremomblog/2009/02/sasha_and_malias_allowance_is_1.html

I don't know. I think the Congress needs to consider holding hearings

[ogneopasno]

1. Sweet A&W Root Beer, who gives a shit?

[babylonsister]

2. Yea, but what happens when they're 50 and still living with the 'rents?

Hey, they're cool, have fun friends, etc. That could get expensive. :D

[greguganus]

39. At 50 they should be getting $25 a week allowance. n/t

[Ian David]

3. No. They should stop giving the girls any allowance at all.

Don't you remember when the Republicans investigated Bill Clinton's cat?

[Clio the Leo]

4. Did they really?

Poor Socks

[Ian David]

5. Apparently, Kenneth Starr was concerned about who was paying postage for Socks' letters to children.

Just imagine what the Repukes will do to the Obama kids if they get it in their head that they're on some kind of "payroll."

[ronnykmarshall]

55. Ken Starr can rot in hell.

That fucker also file in California is invalidate all the gay marriages.

God I hate that piece of snake shit.

[Ian David]

61. He also argued the Bong Hits for Jesus case. n/t

[Sultana]

28. Oh wow

[tcfrogs]

6. Talk about none of the public's business

This is between the parent & the kids & family, not the general public.

[AZBlue]

60. Wow. Can I please recommend this post??

Spot on!

[LakeSamish706]

7. In the economic climate it might not be cheap, but in todays terms with respect to...

kids, yeah that is cheap...... Should be probably $15.00 and $10.00 IMHO.

[Bicoastal]

8. You know what? Somehow, I think the Obama girls are going to turn out just fine.

Presidential children usually end up doing pretty well for themselves, regardless.

[Jennicut]

9. I got about $5 a week...back in 1985! Maybe it is time for a raise.

[slampoet]

27. I got 50 cents a week back in 1984. $ 5 sounds about right until they can take the subway.

[Hellataz]

29. Same here, About $5 a week in 1989, those girls are being shortchanged.

If all you earn in $4 bucks a month, it'll take you forever to save to earn something you want, thus making it harder to learn the importance of saving. $4 a month will just frustrate them and it will lead to them giving up and saying the hell with these chores, it's not worth it.

[Blue_Tires]

33. $2 per week for me in the mid-80s

[Lorien]

10. I sort of agree with Bodnar, but I think that they should both get $5

because people shouldn't be paid according to age, gender, or anything but the work they do. I do believe that an allowance does help children understand the value of a dollar and begin to learn about savings and delaying gratification, which is difficult for very young children (and Republicans who never learned to think past next week). I got a dollar a week in the early 70's, but it was bumped up to $5 by the time I was a teen (80s) to keep pace with inflation - plus I was doing loads of extra work around the house and yard by then.

[wildflower]

18. That's a good point about being paid according to age

Keeping pace with inflation is a good idea.

[rug]

11. Who needs an allowance in a houseful of servants?

[Clio the Leo]

14. Is the executive chef gonna buy their Jonas Brothers CD for them?

So there ya go! lol

[Hippo_Tron]

19. True, but a lot of kids spend their allowance on after school snacks

The chef makes it so that doing so is kind of pointless.

[Clio the Leo]

23. Actually, I'm wrong about that.....

.... I just realized, why do you need Jonas Bros CDs when ..... you get to keep the band in your toy chest! lol

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20253872,00.html

[greguganus]

40. They don't need the Jonas Bros. CD when they can get them to sing live for free. n/t

[Golden Raisin]

25. Apparently from her first visit/tour

with Laura Bush, before the Obamas even moved in to the White House, Michelle met with the staff to explain/discuss that she wanted the girls to make their own beds, etc. Doing chores and having some light household responsibilities seems to be a big priority. I heard Obama the other day saying they weren't getting the dog until Spring because they felt that the better weather would be more conducive to the girls walking the pup daily and scooping the poop. Both Obamas really seem to be aware of the glaring spotlight the girls will be living in and are trying to instil both some normalcy and solid values into their kids. That said, I think the allowance IS a bit on the low side for 2009.

[NYC Liberal]

35. Still have to pay for those snacks that they want.

Maybe dad is teaching them how to save their money for when they want something.

[DeschutesRiver]

44. At first I thought a buck was kind of cheap, until

I too remembered that they had a personal chef, maids, chauffeurs, Air Force One crew,etc, etc, lots of benefits with the role of First Family Kids. And there wouldn't really be any amount of allowance that can compete with that, so maybe there is something to just giving them a token amount in return for some show of personal responsibility on those chores.

There is the outstanding matter of the First Family Dog, however; if I were those girls, that is what I'd make a stink about rather than the buck/week.

[GoCubsGo]

47. Not to mention...

Sasha is 7-years-old. What the heck is a child that age going to run out and buy? More Ugli Dolls? Her sister is 10. I can see her getting a little more, but still... I'm seeing suggestions that they should be getting $5, $10, $15... I'm 48-years-old, and I don't even give myself that kind of allowance!

[DeschutesRiver]

52. exactly right

and also whatever Dad and Mom Obama are doing is resulting in two young daughters who are bright, achieving, happy, polite, respectful, and responsible. Yeah, I know we haven't seen all sides of them, but really, they are so far impeccably well mannered and delightful kids to watch. Esp. with all this pressure of being on the world stage.

Given how well raised they are, who am I to second guess their strategy?:)

[Lorien]

57. At seven years old I would buy myself a comic book or a dairy queen

ice cream cone with my allowance. That's pretty standard. You honestly don't average $5 a week for "wants"? No coffee, newspaper, cable TV, internet access, movies, dinners out...NOTHING? Man -and children-do not live by bread alone. A dollar a week in 2009 terms doesn't work well as a financial learning aid for a seven year old. $5 is about average for a middle class kid who does their chores (and no, they are not allowed maid service in their rooms).

[GoCubsGo]

62. Nope. No dinners out, no movies, etc...

That kind of stuff is YOUR "wants", not mine. My pleasures in life don't require me to shell out money. And, that's what a buck a week for a 7-year-old is supposed to teach--that there is more to life than "stuff". Learn to entertain yourself with what you have. And, the more you have to work for something, the more you will appreciate it when you get it.

BTW, I also don't consider internet access to be a "want". For me, who is looking for a job, it is a need. 99% of the jobs of the jobs out there can only be applied for on-line. In my profession, it can take hours to prepare for and to apply to some of them, so using a public access computer is not usually feasible.

[Lorien]

56. Most children that age don't drive themselves, cook for themselves

do the bulk of the house cleaning or purchase airline tickets. An allowance is usually for a child's "wants"; toys, candy, a pair of overpriced sneakers or a glittery purse...stuff that does not come under the heading of necessary items like school clothing or toothpaste. The whole point is to teach the child about the value of a dollar and the worth of "saving up" for something they really want, but don't need. A buck a week won't do much more than buy them a few candy bars or a comic book each month, so it's kind of a waste as a serious educational tool.

[DeschutesRiver]

59. Might be a difference in our experiences growing up?

No, I didn't drive myself at their age, but with working parents, I did cook and clean quite a bit when I wasn't in school, at their age, including outside repetitive daily chores. Because we were working class, that kind of thing wasn't considered part of what we did for our allowance, more just part of what the family unit did to survive.

Our friends got a set allowance for family chores; we got paid piecemeal, on selected tasks that needed doing but were outside the scope of daily routine things. We decided how much we wanted to "earn", which was driven by what we wanted to buy. My brother always chose to do the least amount possible and to spent every dime as quickly as possible. I saved every dime until I got enough to get something substantial. Different kids have different things that work for them. Could it be that there is something working about what the Obamas' have set as the allowance for their kids?

I'd like to know more about what their goal is, and how they've set it up, other than just the one side of it, which is the "how much are they paid weekly" part. Might be different if I knew the whole setup.

[ellenfl]

12. allowance? i never got an allowance and i had plenty of chores.

oh, wait, i DID get a dime for doing the laundry once. that was laundry for a family of 6. sheesh, when did an allowance become a requirement?

ellen fl

[napi21]

13. What do they have to do for that $1.00?

I think this is meant for their friviouse spending, and sounds fine to me!

[TTUBatfan2008]

15. I don't think money will ever be an issue for Malia and Sasha...

How much has Bill made from speeches after he left office? Over $100 million. The Big Dog is a great speaker, but let's face it. President Obama is just about the best speaker we've had since Lincoln. My guess is that he will make quite a bit more than Clinton after his time in office.

[Hippo_Tron]

20. True, but I'm sure the Obamas want to teach their kids to be self reliant

[TTUBatfan2008]

22. I'm sure they do...

and I'm sure Tiger Woods will teach his kids the same values. Doesn't mean the kids will actually NEED those values in life. :P

Shit, can you imagine being Tiger's kids? Talk about hitting the friggin' jackpot! And the thing is they are so young (his wife just had their second on Sunday) that they have no idea the kind of history he is making right now in sports. The Obama daughters are lucky that they're old enough to remember what's going on. Tiger's probably already going to have the all-time majors record by the time his kids are old enough to understand what's going on. LOL.

[JI7]

16. at their age, that sounds about ok

they don't really need an allowance but sometimes parents like to give young kids something so if they want something extra they can use that money to get it and learn about budgeting.

[Arctic Dave]

17. When I was their age we used to get a quarter. This is back in the early seventies.

I would quickly run down the block to Mr. Robinsons Grocery and buy 25 Tootsie rolls or Now or Laters. I'm suprised I still have teeth. :D

[BlooInBloo]

21. Criticizing their *parenting*? Wow - you "dissent is patriotic" people really take the cake.

[MadBadger]

24. They shouldnt demand an allowance...but how bout the frickin Puppy!

[greguganus]

41. Puppies don't need allowances either. lol n/t

[ecstatic]

26. I didn't get allowance at all, and now I'm very responsible with

money... for the most part. :shrug: My little brother on the other hand got allowance and currently lives way beyond his means (at my parents' expense, of course).

[Dappleganger]

30. The most successful couple of parents

need not listen to *anyone's* unsolicited parenting advice.

Bodnar needs to shut the hell up.

[Occam Bandage]

31. Why, exactly, are we now criticizing the Obamas' parenting?

That's just ridiculous.

[ginnyinWI]

32. I gave my kids 50 cents per year of age

starting at about age 5 or so. This was back a few years--what does a dollar buy today? I'd consider, today, giving kids a dollar per year of age, or close to it, if I could afford to. And more if they did extra chores.

Results: as adults today they are pretty sensible about money.

[NatBurner]

34. yes, that's cheap. and chores?

what are they expected to do? vacuum the white house?

sheesh

i thought MY mom was cheap- and she wasn't making 400 stacks a year either

[WI_DEM]

37. probably keep up there rooms. I think kids should do chores

it teaches them responsibility.

[Lorien]

58. They aren't allowed to have maid service in their rooms

mom wants them to learn how to make their beds and pick up after themselves. Nothing wrong with that.

[WI_DEM]

36. When I was a kid I got a quarter a week.

[Barack_America]

38. I'm filing this under "none of my business". Next. nt.

[tigereye]

42. well, there is a recession...

:rofl: I give my son 20 dollars a month (when I remember) Since he'll be 13 soon I should probably raise it to 25, eh?

[crispini]

43. Dang, those kids should be getting a little more money

Inflation, you know. I think I got that much when I was their age.

[renate]

45. I think this discussion is sweet--a nice inconsequential diversion

And I also think the kids deserve more than $1 a week. :) But Barack and Michelle seem to have a pretty good grasp on this parenting thing--I'm not going to worry about Sasha or Malia feeling deprived.

[lumberjack_jeff]

46. Yes. And it helps to bring into bas relief the dire need for me to get a life. n/t

[AspenRose]

48. "What is 'None of our business,' Alex?"

:eyes: :wtf:

[Ocracoker16]

49. In comparison to their peers at Sidwell Friends school

Sasha and Malia are being given a pretty small allowance. That doesn't mean that Barack and Michelle should give a much larger allowance that would be closer to that of their peers. Barack and Michelle are trying to teach Sasha and Malia that they are not entitled to everything. Michelle realized that her daughters would be waited on to a certain extent so she made sure to give them chores to do in their rooms and other residential areas. I am pleased that Barack and Michelle are making a sincere effort to keep their daughters from becoming spoiled.

[crimsonblue]

50. I fracking hate the term 'tween'.

:puke:

[firedupdem]

51. I guess I'm mean, I never received allowance and neither have

my boys. We just went with... this is what you need to do around here or else! LOL!

[RamboLiberal]

53. I think I got more than a $1 a week and that was back in the 60's

I vote for a raise.

[chollybocker]

54. Michelle also confided to Ellen that the Tooth Fairy brings the girls $3 per tooth

But she wasn't exactly sure how the Tooth Fairy calculated her rates.

The Obama economy is clearly spinning out of control.

[marshall]

63. What are they going to do with the money?

They can't go anywhere or do anything without bodyguards dogging their heels. It's not like they can run around the corner to the 7-11 to get a slurpee.