Parental guidance

Mon., Sept. 10, 2007

The Spokesman-Review

PARENTAL GUIDANCE

From conversations on the Parents Council blog this week:

What’s a fair allowance? “I have found minimum wage to be a base to follow. We have chores broken up into those jobs that are expected as being part of the family. Then we have jobs that are beyond those expectations that we pay an hourly rate for. …

“We explained minimum wage (we decided to use Washington’s wage, not Idaho’s). We take out taxes (goes into college fund) and explained these are the wages they would have to live on if they don’t stay on the college track. We pay bi-monthly and we do not pay in advance. It has been rough for them occasionally when they have not worked enough. However, I think it’s worked and it’s reinforced the college track idea that they should be on.

“There was one time that they tried to milk the hourly thing with a pretty easy job. My husband wrote them up and docked them four hours from their paid vacation they get in the summer.” – Posted by Sparky

Readers can join in on this and other discussions at spokesmanreview .com/blogs/parents.

Got a question for the group or a conversation you’d like to start? Email Ken Paulman at kenp@spokesman.com.

THINGS TO DO

Apple festival

Large variety of apples, fresh pressed cider and pumpkins. Live music, food, craft booths, antiques, farm mazes and animals. Saturdays and Sundays, starting this Saturday and continuing through Oct. 28. Green Bluff area, 15 minutes north of Spokane off Highway 2. For directions and more information, go to www.greenbluffgrowers .com.

For more events, search our online calendar at spokane7.com/events.

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