Jobs Around the Home
Some things we do because we're part of a family. Other jobs can be extra work someone chooses to pay for.
Responsibility vs paid work
Not every job around the home works the same way. Some things are just part of being in a family — everyone pitches in. Others are extra work that someone chooses to pay for. Both are valuable, just different.
🏠 Regular responsibilities
- Dishwasher
- Blinds
- Recycling
Part of normal family life — not paid extra.
💵 Extra jobs that can earn money
- Washing the car
- Mowing lawns
Bigger, optional jobs someone can choose to pay for.
This is one family's approach — not a rule everyone follows. Families decide this differently, and there's no single correct system.
What jobs can help you practise
Taking on jobs — paid or not — can give you a chance to practise responsibility, reliability, following instructions, completing a task, taking pride in your work, and earning money. Doing a job doesn't automatically teach all of this on its own, but it's a real chance to build these skills.
What does "done" actually mean?
Being paid for a job usually means completing the agreed task properly. If you agree to wash the car, what does "wash the car" actually mean?
What do you already do?
List 3 things you already do at home. Which are family responsibilities?
Things everyone in the family just does to help out — no payment expected, like putting your dishes away or making your bed.
Which of your 3 things could potentially be an extra job?
A bigger, optional task — like washing a car or mowing a lawn — that someone might choose to pay you for.
What would "done properly" look like for each one?
Think it through step by step, the way the car-washing checklist above breaks the job down.
If you're paying for extra jobs, it helps to set clear expectations up front:
- Agree on the job
- Agree on the payment
- Agree on what "finished" means
Where to next
More on how one family handles pocket money and getting paid.