I completely agree with you on that ,I wouldn't expect to be paid if I were the older child

@mrsmoore, Exactly. And it's not like it's okay to have your oldest watch your youngest 24/7. But when you need your youngest watched so you can go to work or run errands, it's ridiculous to have to pay money for someone to watch him/her when you have an older sibling to help out right there! Helping out is part of the duties of being in a family.

I wouldn't ask my kids to watch the younger ones unless they were older and I need to be some where important my older sister used to watch me she was like a second mom and wasn't paid

I totally agree! yea I'm not paying them to clean their own room stuff they should do haha

@2_fahrenwald_boys, No, it's not. If the parents have to go to an interview or meeting or something, the older sibling watches the younger sibling. That's life. I watched my brother who has Down Syndrome throughout my entire childhood. I was never compensated and wouldn't dream of asking! As an older sibling, you have more responsibilities than your younger siblings. That's life. You start paying a kid to be a big brother/sister and you start teaching them to be entitled little monsters! And actually, not "anyone else would be" compensated. Almost everyone would watch their grandchildren or their nephews/nieces for free. It's called FAMILY.

@2_fahrenwald_boys, i totally agree.

No it's called putting your responsibilities off on your kids and using them. If you're putting that kind of responsibility on them they should be compensated just as anyone else would be.

@2_fahrenwald_boys, It's called the sibling responsibility.

I agree with not getting paid to do normal chores but to watch your kids without any compensation is wrong. They didn't choose to have kids and they should not be stuck with that responsibility. Exactly they are kids and should be treated as such. Not as a live in babysitter!!

@mrsmoore, Doing chores like cleaning their room, picking up after themselves, etc. is part of being alive and being part of a family. Most parents already pay for extras anyway (anything over the necessities are extras) because they can and they want their child to be happy. If the kids are too young for a job, but you still want to start teaching them the value of money early, then figure out extra chores (helping you do a chore for $1 for example -- like helping weed the yard or helping do the laundry). If they are tweens/young teens, help them create their own little business (like a lemonade stand or mowing lawns in the neighborhood). Things like that will teach them how to survive once they start real jobs/become adults.

I dont get allowances either. If they are too young for a job, they had better 1) not want a ton of random things and 2) pick something special they want and if they are doing the right thing I will get it. When they are old enough to work a small job, they can get it and spend the money how they want to.

why not an allowance when they are to you g to have a job to work for the money for things ? I'm just curious I never really got one but if my kids are at the age they want something and are at the age of not being able to work they can do chores to save up for what they want but it wouldn't be hourly pay