To Bribe or Not to Bribe

Spring clean up time is here and I really don't want to think about it. The lawn and porch are covered with leaves and debris, blah!

Ah-Ha! I have two little sprites that can help...but how to motivate them?? Hmm, money?

I have offered my 6 and 8 year old $0.50 per bag filled of leaves. I felt guilty, but you should watch them clean! There is even a little fun competition as to who can get the most leaves. As a bonus, I told them if the porch and yard were completely leaf free I would let them go buy trading cards. I am going to parenting hell!!

They each have a regular chore chart that they check daily. We have pressed upon them that each of the members of this family help out in their own way because we are members of a family and that's what family's do. We do not offer allowance based on performance of these chores. We feel chores are about contributing to the household in which you live, making it a better and more comfortable place for all of us.

So what do you do? Do your children do chores? Do you pay a flat allowance or for individual tasks? What could I have done differently, short of doing the work myself?!