The team at School Stickers know the importance of rewards in motivating children at school, but the proof is finally here that rewards are an important part of motivating children at home as well.
Our annual survey of over 2,000 teenagers found that almost nine out of ten (88%) teenagers say that they do chores around the house, but almost half (47%) are paid to help out, with some earning £30 a week.
Of those who do help around the house, the most common chores for teenagers are tidying their bedroom (82%), cleaning the dishes (75%), vacuuming (63%), helping to cook meals (63%) and putting the bins out (59%).
Of those that are paid to do chores, almost half (42%) are paid per chore. The best paid chores are babysitting, paying on average £6 an hour and cleaning the car, paying on average £3 per car. All other chores pay on average between £1.71 and £2.19.
A third (34%) of those that are paid to do chores are paid to do a list of chores. The going rate for a list of chores varies significantly from a £1 to up to £30 a week depending on the list, but £10 is the most frequently stated amount.
Our survey highlights that whilst many children help around the house for free, some do need more encouragement. However all teenagers are different, so it is up to individual parents to decide whether rewards are needed in their homes.
In our experience it is the same in schools. Many children work hard and participate naturally, but there will always be children where the opportunity to be rewarded is a powerful incentive, and rewards whether they be stickers, certificates, praise postcards home or prizes, are tools which many teachers value.