Pocket money seems to be a thing of the past as parents now use modern rewards like extra screen time or extra mobile data to encourage their children to get chores done. In fact, a whopping 84 percent of parents are now turning to alternative “payments” to encourage youngsters to do more at home.

According to the survey of 500 mums and dads with 12- to 16-year-olds, chocolate or candy, sleeping later or in-game purchases are some of the new favorite currencies. And more than half (56 percent) choose to give other treats like this to prevent their children from spending all their money at once – while 44 percent prefer other methods because they are cheaper.

The survey, commissioned by Sky Mobile, also found that while some still pay for tasks (23 per cent), more than a third of them (36 per cent) would consider switching to something other than a smartphone alternative.



Allowing in-game purchases, like Fortnite, is a common incentive

Singer-songwriter and mother of two, Louise Redknapp, shares her family’s experience with pocket money: “Like many parents, I have had my children ask about various alternative ways to get their pocket money. Buying mobile data, mobile play credits or extra screen time is a great way to encourage kids to help around the house and reward good behavior – it’s a successful best practice in our house, and it’s a fantastic alternative way to say thank you. “

The study also found that children request extra mobile data three times a month – and for those who can share, the general rate is three gigabytes per task. Children complete an average of four tasks each week – the most popular being: setting or cleaning the table (48 percent), washing dishes (37 percent) and emptying or loading the dishwasher (36 percent).

But when it comes to the most rewarding tasks parents say, cleaning the bathroom and helping to clean up the grocery store topped the list (12 percent each). A tenth of parents already share mobile data with their children as a thank you, and 43 percent want their mobile network to allow data sharing so they can also give it as a gift.

Paul Sweeney, CEO of Sky Mobile, said: “Rewards for children helping around the house come in all shapes and sizes – and for the modern child, money is sometimes not always at the top of the list.”

Across the country, London parents are most likely to trade money for extra screen time (39 per cent) and mobile data (25 per cent). While almost a third of mums and dads in the West Midlands indulge their children’s sweet tooth, they see treats and chocolate (30 per cent) as the biggest incentive for them to help out more at home.

Parents believe that rewarding their children for completing tasks shows them that hard work is rewarded (37 percent), while 30 percent think that teaching them positive financial behavior helps. And 29 percent of those surveyed about OnePoll believe it empowers them to learn life skills.

TOP 10 ALTERNATIVE POCKET MONEY BONUSES: