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4 Friday, January 6, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Should you pay your child to do chores? My daughter has been getting an allowance for a few years now. Each week she gets a small sum to do with as she pleases. Some of her little friends also get an allowance based on the completion of required chores. But my daughter's doesn't come with such conditions. Should she be expected to complete chores for it? Paying kids for chores is a hotly debated topic. Many parents feel that tying allowances to chores is similar to paying kids to do their jobs (everyday household chores) just as their parents get paid at work. If they don't do their jobs, the children don't get paid. The idea is this teaches them that a good work ethic is rewarded. They see this as preparing them for the real world. But if you think about it, is it really doing that? My husband and I do a lot of work around the house yet we don't get paid for household chores. Why should our child? Families are busier than ever these days with ev-eryone heading to activities. Keep- ing a household up and running requires everyone to do their part. By tying a child's allowance to these chores you could be heading down a challenging road. Imagine if it's your son's chore to feed the cat. He decides he doesn't feel like doing it today and figures it's okay, that it will just come out of his allowance. Someone, likely Mom or Dad, will feed the starving animal at some point. So, he "gets away with it." By paying children for chores, you could be sending the message that work isn't worth doing unless they're getting paid for it. For example, "Honey, can you help me with the laundry?" "Sure, Mom, how much will you pay me?" As children get older, they can do more chores, but for every new duty you introduce, you might find yourself having to negotiate a price. And what if someone offers to pay them more? Does that mean your daughter can stop mowing the lawn at home if the neighbor will pay double? Instead, offer a list of paid odd jobs choose from outside their normal chores, such as helping clean out the garage. This gives kids a chance to earn a little more money aside from their regular allowance. This is especially good for kids who are saving up for something special as it gives them the control to reach their goals faster. Am I worried that my daughter won't learn the value of money by just giving it to her? Not at all. She has set chores and is expected to do her part. But I see allowance as a tool for her to learn money management rather than a reward for work done. I give no guidance on how she uses the money, unless she asks. Over the past three years, she has blown the funds on junk, saved for something special, put it in the bank, given it away and lost it. Having a small amount to make mistakes with teaches big lessons with little risk. And each time your child makes a money decision, she learns from it. These are lessons that are easier learned now than when she has a larger sum to play with. Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar."Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Fri., Jan. 27, 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm Winter, Wine and Wellness - 8 Vipond Road, Brooklin The Optimist Club of Brooklin's Winter, Wine and Wellness event will consist of two sessions (6:30 pm - 8 pm and 8:30 pm - 10 pm) where you are invited to enjoy a fun evening and learn about some incredible local community partners who operate health and wellness-based businesses. Tickets will include admission, snacks and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). This event is for community members 19+. There will be samples, demonstrations, giveaways, and a fundraising raffle where you can purchase tickets to win some amazing prizes. Early Bird tickets are $15 each (plus fees) if purchased BEFORE January 15. Then they will increase to $20. Many local businesses will be in attendance to show how they help their clients to beat the winter blues. This event is all about wellness. We hope you come to have a bit of fun and learn a little something, too. Please stay tuned to this page web site page below to get updates about our amazing community partner businesses will be attending. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/winter- wine-wellness-tickets-30214161370 Sun., Jan. 29, 7:00 pm Brooklin Pub Quiz Night, $15.00 per person gets you a platter of wings and fries and a mug of beer. Teams of 4-8; 6 is best. Winning team gets a $10.00 gift certificate per person to return to the Brooklin Pub another time. All proceeds go to Pulmonary Hypertension of Canada.Hints: 1. Monopoly 2. Mark David Chapman. Need more info please call/ text Carolyn 905-449-1162 Mondays 6:30-7:00 pm: French Family Storytime: Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to join Madame Sue for our weekly French Family Storytime! Enjoy a half hour of stories and songs in French, with a dash of English too! Registration is not required. Just drop in! LOCATION: Central Library - Children's Program Room Tuesdays: Brooklin Toastmasters, 7:15 pm for Meet & Greet, Meeting from 7:20 to 9:14 pm at the Brooklin Community Centre & Library, 8 Vipond Road, 2nd floor Boardroom. For more information, contact John at 905-683-4439 or jajhj@sympatico.ca or Loran Weston-Smyth at lorn@lornawestonsmyth.com or 416-910-4109. Brooklin Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills. Basic Foot Care: Community Care Durham provides basic foot care services by registered foot care nurses on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. Please call 905-668-6223 for more information. Thursday evenings: Love to sing! The Brooklin United Church adult choir welcomes new voices to join us. Practices are Thursday evenings 7:30 - 9:00 pm. You do not need to read music to be part of the choir. Practice CD's are made available. For more information, please call the church office at 905-655-4141 or by email at office@brooklinunited.ca WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Christmas Services December 11 Service of Music (10:30 am) December 18 4th of Advent (10:30 am) December 24 Christmas Eve Family Services at 5:00 and 7:00 pm Candlelight Communion 10:00 pm December 25 Christmas Day Service (10:30 am) www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin!