2. 外语
  3. Paying kids to do chores has been one of the most hotly-debated parenting topics for a long time. Some hold that paying children

Paying kids to do chores has been one of the most hotly-debated parenting topics for a long time. Some hold that paying children

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问题     Paying kids to do chores has been one of the most hotly-debated parenting topics for a long time. Some hold that paying children to do chores can help them to learn money management skills while others consider it will make children less willing to contribute to family. From the following excerpts, you can find different opinions towards this parenting method.
    Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should:
    1. summarize briefly the two excepts, and then
    2. give your comment on whether it is suitable to pay kids for doing house chores.
Excerpt 1
    Karine Ewart, Editor-in-Chief, mom of four
    Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of money to go around. Once I was old enough to start coveting "stuff," I needed to find a way to pay for it myself. So from the age of eight, I had a variety of part-time jobs, including paper routes, dog walking, and life-guarding. By the time I got my first real job, I had plenty of work experience, yet zero knowledge of finances or budgeting. I once spent my last $20 on a new pair of shoes, knowing I had nothing but bagels and butter to live on until my next payday. Now that my kids are between six and ten, they often want new stuff, too, and at ever-increasing price points. My answer is always, "not unless it’s your birthday, Christmas or a true necessity." But we do want to teach them money management skills, so a chores-based allowance makes sense for us. Every week, they’re assigned a few extra jobs: feed or brush the dog, unload the dishwasher, flip the laundry, or help with yardwork. We also expect them to contribute to the household without any monetary gain. The rules are: respect each other, no physical fighting, use your manners, do your homework, keep your rooms clean, make your own lunch.
    Each kid gets $5 a week, but one loonie goes to charity and another goes into a savings account. They can spend their $3 a week any way they want—or, ideally, save it. I am happy to report that my daughter Milla is much more fiscally responsible than I was at her age.
Excerpt 2
    Sharon DeVellis, mom of two
    When I was a kid, I received a weekly allowance to do the chores. To this day, I remember how resentful I felt when my friends were out playing while I was stuck behind a sink, or forced to clean the gross cat box.
    When our sons were eight and five, we started giving them an allowance based on chores, too. However, they wanted money any time I asked them to do something around the house.
    My husband and I decided to change tactics. We explained the responsibilities required to keep the house running smoothly to the boys. They got a list of tasks we expected them to do each day— not because they were being paid, but because it’s part of being in a family. They do receive a monthly allowance, but it’s not contingent on chores.
    Where’s the accountability? This is why we chose a monthly allowance and not weekly. The first time we doled out their monthly allowance, both boys spent all their money and had nothing left for the next 29 days—this was how they learned the importance of budgeting. When they bought dollar-store toys that broke a few hours later, they learned about quality, not quantity. When my youngest son didn’t spend his allowance for three months in order to buy himself a digital camera, he learned how to save.
选项
答案 Chores: Responsibility-Oriented or Money-Oriented? Parenting is no easy task. When it comes to household chores, to pay or not to pay is always a topic of much debate. Karine, a mom of four, holds that the money children get from doing housework will help them establish the sense of financial management, but of course she also expects her children to do some chores without pay in order to foster their sense of responsibility. Sharon, a mom of two, however believes that chore-based allowance will make children less responsible for the family. My own view is that it is unnecessary to pay children to do house chores which are responsibility-oriented instead of money-oriented. Childhood is a formative period important for children to establish correct values and outlooks. If parents give allowances as rewards to their children every time they do household chores, the children will regard housework as a way to earn money rather than see it as a way to fulfill family responsibility. Once such a perception of housework is established, children will think that they can choose not to do household chores as long as they do not want to be paid. As a matter of fact, however, doing housework is not about work and pay; it is a responsibility expected of every capable family member to make the family run smoothly. Chores-based allowance is prone to cause lack of responsibility. By contrast, kids who get involved in housework without any monetary gain may feel better because they know they have a role to play in the family. To conclude, I disagree with the idea of giving children allowances contingent upon housework. It is fine for parents to help their children gain knowledge of financial management and make them more fiscally responsible through other approaches, but it is definitely not a good idea to achieve this goal by paying children to do chores.
解析     材料围绕“是否应付钱请孩子做家务”展开讨论，给出了两位母亲的看法。
    选段一中有四个孩子的母亲Karine表示赞成，她通过自身缺乏理财意识的例子，说明应该让小孩通过做家务得到报酬，这样可以培养他们的理财技能(money management skills)，而且实践证明她的女儿比她当年更具理财意识(fiscally responsible)。
    选段二中的两个孩子的母亲Sharon则反对给孩子报酬做家务，因为她发现基于家务的酬劳使小孩缺少家庭责任感(responsibilities)。但同时她每个月也会给孩子零花钱(monthly allowance)。不以星期为单位(not weekly)有利于孩子学会预算的重要性(the importance of budgeting)，也能让他们学会如何攒钱(how to save)。
    开篇：总结材料中两位母亲关于花钱请孩子做家务的看法，并提出全文观点——家务是一种家庭责任，不应与金钱挂钩。
    主体：论述付钱让小孩做家务的弊端，同时说明基于责任完成家务的好处。
    结尾：重申观点，指出家务主要培养孩子的家庭责任感，而培养小孩的理财意识可以通过其他方式实现。
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