The Line Between the Tweens

Having two adolescents in the house means I spend a lot of time discerning, "Do I need to fight this battle?"  and the follow up, "Why the heck did I need to fight that battle?" with the follow up follow up, "I hope I won."

Child A wants to earn money and offers to do what I currently do for free, for cash once a week.  Child A keeps track of the labor and gives a running tally on the money earned thus far.

Child B opts one day out of kindness to do the same chore.

Come pay day, both expect payment.   I oblige.

Now I have two people wanting me to designate who shall have the privilege of earning cash on the barrel for their labors, and who gets nothing.

Problem?

One does the chore with decidedly greater skill than the other.

Suggesting both do the labor at the same time seems like the Solomon type decision, except both keep reporting how the other one isn't doing enough to merit full payment.

My head hurts.

My options:  Make both clean. Ignore all complaints. Pay both full amounts. This is not my first choice, just an option.  I don't want it.

Shared labor, half expenses.  Explain the pay is halfed with the labor.  Hope they agree to it. *I'd prefer, since it would mean realistically, the whole job might be regularly completed and gradually, both would come to learn the task.

Alternate cleaning.  Recognize I'll have to tweak or groom the less skilled laborer.   I'll have to psuedo check the other so neither notes their own superiority.

Assert Power.  Both clean. No pay.   This is more pain than it is worth. It will leave me eventually with no help.

This is why I write. It helps me see the folly of options.

I went to the two in question and explained the possibilities.

They came up with one I'd not anticipated.

"We don't need the money."  so they both dropped the chore.

Perhaps, I should write more.  I didn't see that folly coming.