In these economic times, a new comic strip I'd LIKE to see....

 (I posted this in rec.arts.comics.strips)

.....is a strip where the kid doesn't get an allowance, he/she has to
do EXTRA chores, after the regular share of chores has been done, if
money is desired.

What's so shocking about that, even when times are prosperous? That's
how the adult world works, after all - you only get paid to do someone
else's work. Just because most American parents don't do that doesn't
mean it's a bad idea. After all, kids could always refuse to do the
extra chores, and whenever they want money, they could earn as much as
they want - albeit slowly. Whereas with an allowance, lazy kids fall
into the habit of spending it and then moping helplessly for a week
while they wait for the next "payment."

Granted, the mothers in "Stone Soup" or "Heart of the City" would be
likely candidates for imposing the former system, but I've yet to see
them say "you want it, you earn it" more than, say, once a year. Not
to mention I thought it was outrageous when, in "Zits," (I think it
was in the book "Jeremy & Mom") Connie Duncan bursts in and starts
yelling at Jeremy about his cell phone/texting bill and Jeremy simply
nods gravely at the right times without mentally hearing a word, since
he knows she'll calm down and hug him eventually. Did it ever occur to
Connie that none of this would happen if HE had to work and pay for
every little personal luxury that can easily get out of control? I
think there could be plenty of humorous situations under those rules,
whether or not other parents start to follow suit, because Jeremy and
friends can always grouse to each other, after all. Besides, if the
kid doesn't like the parental pay rate, there are always the minimum-
wage jobs out there to apply for.

(I then explained who Amy Dacyczyn is, the book she wrote, and  how
she said: "If my kids don't want it something enough to work for it,
why should I?" and "Kids take better care of things when they earn
them; they understand that trinket X = Y hours of work (many adults
don't); and they are happier knowing that they can earn more money
whenever they please instead of waiting for allowances and
birthdays.")

Lenona.

  lenona321@yahoo.com wrote:

Dont forget who will be picking your nursing home.


The sort of nursing home that that approach will produce.


No it isnt.


I get paid for the use of my money.


Much better to put them down the coal mines.


Plenty still have the same problem when they do get to work and pay for
everything.


You wont be laughing when he picks the nursing home.


And the coal mines.


Specially in the coal mines.

 
everything.

I don't follow. Are you saying that many teens can't control their
spending even when they work for all their money? Maybe. However, at
least Connie would have no cause to yell at Jeremy if it were HIS
earned money we were talking about - but  in that strip, she was
yelling clearly because the bill was going to her and Dad.

Lenona.

 lenona321@yahoo.com wrote

everything.


No maybe about it.


Yep, only a fool does it like that.