The Inventive Incentive- A Parent's Guide to Creative Allowance Incentives

“Why in the wild world of sports do I liberally relinquish my hard earned money to the cell-phone-obsessed, expensively-dressed eating machines that have taken residence in my humble abode? Does a trip to the dentist for a root canal sound more enticing than yelling at the top of my lungs to "Clean your room"? These are just a few questions many parents ask themselves.

Well friends, Inventive Incentive is here to help. We have created a series of exercises to assist parents and teens find a creative way to explore positive allowance incentives. These exercises were designed to open the doors of communication between parents and teens. The techniques are very simple, but they take some work from both parties. Each month we will list a new incentive that you as a parent can adapt to your busy schedule to help promote a positive way for kids to improve their grades, turn their passion into profit, define their responsibilities and teach them to become more productive. So let's begin.


Inventive Incentive #1

The Job Interview/Performance Evaluation - Parents remember your first job interview? Creating the perfect resume, finding the right outfit and praying to God that you won't tuck your skirt in your pantyhose, or your leave your fly unzipped. You walk in with confidence and it shows. The interview was great and congratulations you've got the job! After a year you were given a job appraisal and performance evaluation to determine your pay increase. Your boss appreciated your hard work and tenacity and gave you a glowing evaluation and life was just peachy!!! Yeah...

You're probably wondering how this relates to an allowance incentive. Well, today you are the employer of your home and your children are the employees. Reward comes from hard work and sacrifice. Which leads to our first exercise: The Job Interview/Performance Evaluation. This exercise will teach you how to set up an effective job interview with your teen to better define their roles and responsibilities in school and home. This is also an excellent job preparation tool.


1. Teens will need to write a resume. The resume should list all their responsibilities which includes chores such as washing the dishes, cleaning their room, etc; education, and list their skills such as computer proficiency, typing skills, words per minute, internet, etc. If they need assistance in writing a resume please log onto, http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumetemplates/a/templatehs.htm

2. Prepare an agreement that details their list of responsibilities. Parents I encourage you write an itemized list of duties that your employee must perform. The should list should also include your expectations of their performance in school as well. If your child is pulling a "C" or "D", explain that this will decrease their earning potential. Write their salary on the agreement too.

3. Set a date and time for a proper interview. Don't squeeze the interview before track practice, while eating dinner, or by phone as you as you are driving to your Pilates class. Get an appointment book and schedule a date together so you can devote ample time without distractions. If you have a busy household with loads of activity, designate a quiet area such as the den, living room or kitchen table to meet with your child. That means send everyone else out for ice cream!

4. Dress the part -Now you may get a little resistance from your teen, but I believe you both should dress the part. No baggy jeans, mid-drif shirts (I'm talking to you parents, LOL). Seriously, a nice pair of khakis, clean shirt, for the guys and a dress skirt or nice slacks and top for the ladies will do the trick. Oh and shoes would be nice too.

5. Tardiness is not acceptable - Please be on time. Encourage your child to take this meeting seriously by setting an example. If they are late, let them know in advance that this too will decrease their earning potential and is not acceptable when interviewing for any job.

Start the interview by reviewing your child's resume and report card. Open the floor and let them speak openly and honestly. If they are having trouble in school or have not been pulling their weight at home give them an opportunity to explain. There could be some underlying issues that need to be addressed.

After they have finished now it is your turn. Refer to the list of responsibilities and explain what is required of the job. Offer suggestions on how to improve but don't criticize. If your child has not washed the dishes in eons or lets the dog lick the plates and calls that clean, show them you how you would like the task done. Walk over to the sink and wash a dish to perfection! It may sound silly but working together as a team is key. If you constantly criticize your teen they are more likely to shut down emotionally and resist authority. As the old adage goes " You get more flies with honey". Second, if your teen is having trouble in school proceed with caution when addressing this issue. Disinterest or difficulty in grasping the subject can play an important role in your teens poor grades. Review the report card carefully and talk with your child's teacher(s) prior to the interview to discuss a strategy to help improve your child's grades. Remind them that a higher grade can increase their salary. Your child needs to know that you are supportive and that they are appreciated, but they have to make an effort by working hard and to be held accountable for their actions. (*Please note, if there are underlying issues, such as peer pressure, stress, depression or substance abuse please seek professional guidance such as a house of worship or support group that you can attend as a family).

As you close your interview, quickly review their job description, salary and expectations. Both parties should sign the prepared agreement and discuss a monthly or yearly performance evaluation. Parents please stick to your end of the agreement and follow through. As a team you can work together to improve your relationship and proudly let go of the dough!