Frugal parents are encouraging their children to work for their pocket money rather than handing it over for doing nothing, it emerged yesterday.
Research revealed the days of kids being presented with a weekly hand-out have been replaced by a more modern PAYE style system.
A study found more than half of parents now price up the work beforehand or even stick to an agreed tariff for the job in hand.
Changing the bed sheets is by far the best earner for kids with them being paid an average of £ 7.82, while vacuuming is worth £ 5.97 a time.
Cleaning the garden earns the average child £ 6.48 while simply making their bed every day cab earn them £ 6.92.
The downside is that only half of kids are happy to tidy their room without being rewarded with cash – while less than a quarter would wash the family car for free.
It also emerged the average child can now expect to pocket around £ 10.38 a week for helping out around the house, according to the report by the Fayre and Square pub chain.
Yesterday spokeswoman Sally Wainwright said: ''These are tough times for parents but it would seem that pocket money is ring fenced for most when it comes to making savings in the family finances.
''However, the most interesting part of this research for us was seeing the link between children who have to do something to earn money, actually learning the value of it.
''As a deal focused, family 'leisure' brand, we have seen firsthand how parents have sacrificed a lot during this recession, but continue to find the money for good times spent together as a family.
''Whether the kids appreciate that is another thing.''
The report also revealed kids earn on average £ 10.38 a week in pocket money with the typical child starting to receive an allowance from the age of five.
The payments then usually continue until they land a job or turn 18 - which ever happens first.
Most parents admitted they usually negotiate the rate of pocket money with their child, while one in four said they gave their child the same as their friends’ parents paid out.
Younger kids are more likely to be bribed into behaving with the threat of their pocket money being stopped, whereas teenagers are less likely to be expected to work for what they earn.
Furthermore the study revealed kids in the north of England earn more pocket money than those down south - but do have to work for it.
Researchers found pampered children who live south of Birmingham can expect to pocket around £ 6,935.76 throughout their childhood - for doing very little.
But those who live in the north of England will earn on average £ 7,111.52 - or £ 175.76 more - having put in hard graft such as washing up, vacuuming and walking the dog.
It also emerged working for their cash gives children in the north a better sense of the value of money.
The report also found children in the south are more likely to have their pocket money stopped if they misbehave, while parents in the north are much more likely to use it as a bargaining tool.
As a result, more mums and dads in the north said their children had a good grasp of the value of money and understood how much things were worth compared to those in the south.
Worryingly, more than one in three southern parents admitted their children were 'clueless' about money.
EARNINGS PER CHORE
| Cleaning the car | £ 5.12 |
| Tidy their room | £ 5.53 |
| Cleaning the garden | £ 6.48 |
| Vacuuming | £ 5.97 |
| Dusting | £ 6.12 |
| Make their bed every day for a week | £ 6.92 |
| Putting clothes away | £ 6.71 |
| Drying up every day for a week | £ 5.34 |
| Setting the table every day for a week | £ 6.96 |
| Sweeping | £ 6.92 |
| Washing up every day for a week | £ 5.03 |
| Help with a pet | £ 7.18 |
| Clearing the table every day for a week | £ 7.26 |
| Putting shopping away | £ 7.27 |
| Hanging washing on the line | £ 7.37 |
| Mopping | £ 7.21 |
| Change the bed sheets | £ 7.82 |
