Pocket money.
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Pocket money.
Now some of you know that I am being rather careful with the finances at the moment (!)
I am feeling a touch guilty that Ed and Ed's sister don't get given ANY pocket money at all. It's not something that we have ever given on a weekly/monthly basis.
I think that it is reasonable to give it in exchange for some agreed jobs that my children could do. Even just keeping their rooms tidy - after all, as adults, we learn that their is an exchange between working and receiving money. Husband does not agree though and just doesn't give it at all!
I would love to know what other parents on this forum do.
Does you child have to earn it?
Do you give it weekly/monthly?
Is it a standard amount regardless or based on effort/manners etc?
How much do you give? Is it based on their age? If so, how old are they?
If your child does have a regular amount given to them, what do you expect them to pay for out of that amount? Clothes? 'Phone top-ups?
And anything else I may have forgotten to ask but which you deem important.
Thanks in advance. I know that Ed really needs something as he is 6 weeks away from being 13. Ed's sister is nearly 11.
I am feeling a touch guilty that Ed and Ed's sister don't get given ANY pocket money at all. It's not something that we have ever given on a weekly/monthly basis.
I think that it is reasonable to give it in exchange for some agreed jobs that my children could do. Even just keeping their rooms tidy - after all, as adults, we learn that their is an exchange between working and receiving money. Husband does not agree though and just doesn't give it at all!
I would love to know what other parents on this forum do.
Does you child have to earn it?
Do you give it weekly/monthly?
Is it a standard amount regardless or based on effort/manners etc?
How much do you give? Is it based on their age? If so, how old are they?
If your child does have a regular amount given to them, what do you expect them to pay for out of that amount? Clothes? 'Phone top-ups?
And anything else I may have forgotten to ask but which you deem important.
Thanks in advance. I know that Ed really needs something as he is 6 weeks away from being 13. Ed's sister is nearly 11.
DD is 11 (12 in September)
For the past year or so she has been getting £5 per week pocket money. she doesn't need to do anything to earn this and can spend it as she sees fit. It is usually put towards trips to town or going to the local shops for icecream etc.
If she does go into town it's at least a £20 job, but as she saves this up over several weeks we rarely have to put anything to it.
We look upon it as we would have to pay for her bus money, spending money etc anyway, so if we give it to her weekly and she saves it up, at least it teaches her about saving.
We have looked into getting her a Saturday job next year (when she's 13, the youngest age you can do it). She's very excited at the prospect!!
For the past year or so she has been getting £5 per week pocket money. she doesn't need to do anything to earn this and can spend it as she sees fit. It is usually put towards trips to town or going to the local shops for icecream etc.
If she does go into town it's at least a £20 job, but as she saves this up over several weeks we rarely have to put anything to it.
We look upon it as we would have to pay for her bus money, spending money etc anyway, so if we give it to her weekly and she saves it up, at least it teaches her about saving.
We have looked into getting her a Saturday job next year (when she's 13, the youngest age you can do it). She's very excited at the prospect!!
I am really interested in the replies to this subject as it is something we are considering.
At the moment neither DC (11 & eight) gets anything and we are quite careful that they are not bought everything they ask for - would it be better to give them a regular sum to spend how they wish? Particularly interested in what they would be expected to buy with it and what we would still expect to provide for them (outside the obvious like food and "standard" clothing).
Sorry I have no suggestions for you Ed's Mum but at least you know you're not the only one pondering this conundrum!
At the moment neither DC (11 & eight) gets anything and we are quite careful that they are not bought everything they ask for - would it be better to give them a regular sum to spend how they wish? Particularly interested in what they would be expected to buy with it and what we would still expect to provide for them (outside the obvious like food and "standard" clothing).
Sorry I have no suggestions for you Ed's Mum but at least you know you're not the only one pondering this conundrum!
Just to add, I haven't voted in your poll because I don't think it's necessarily 'right' or 'wrong' to give a child pocket money.
I think it's a very individual thing and down to your lifestyle ie: if your ds/dd never goes anywhere they wouldn't need pocket money - certainly my older son didn't get pocket money at dd's age, but if he needed money for anything in particular we gave it to him.
Now I'm waffling
I think it's a very individual thing and down to your lifestyle ie: if your ds/dd never goes anywhere they wouldn't need pocket money - certainly my older son didn't get pocket money at dd's age, but if he needed money for anything in particular we gave it to him.
Now I'm waffling
Also interested in replies as this is something I have been pondering about recently!
DD is 12 & gets £3 a week flat rate. I buy most of her clothes & pay if she goes to the cinema or something & sometimes buy her a phone top up. But I have been wondering whether I ought to increase her pocket money & get her to pay for all her social activities? Difficult to know what would be a reasonable amount.
DS is 8 & gets £1 a week basic rate. He gets 10p bonuses for things like doing his music practise without moaning / good sportsmanship / if a teacher tells me he's been particularly good. He loses 10p if a teacher has to "have a word" / being rude etc. To be fair he hardly ever loses money but the system was devised over a year ago when we were having a few problems with his attitude. He is obsessed with money so it worked for us!
Both my kids are expected to contribute to family life by way of helping out in the house (not that they do that much
).
DD is 12 & gets £3 a week flat rate. I buy most of her clothes & pay if she goes to the cinema or something & sometimes buy her a phone top up. But I have been wondering whether I ought to increase her pocket money & get her to pay for all her social activities? Difficult to know what would be a reasonable amount.
DS is 8 & gets £1 a week basic rate. He gets 10p bonuses for things like doing his music practise without moaning / good sportsmanship / if a teacher tells me he's been particularly good. He loses 10p if a teacher has to "have a word" / being rude etc. To be fair he hardly ever loses money but the system was devised over a year ago when we were having a few problems with his attitude. He is obsessed with money so it worked for us!
Both my kids are expected to contribute to family life by way of helping out in the house (not that they do that much
).I'm stuck now though.
If I don't vote, I won't get to see what people think!!
Hmmmm, difficult, I hate being a hypocrite as I really do believe there is no yes he should/no he shouldn't have it (same as right/wrong to me!) at this stage.
I shall just have to remain in ignorance I think - but if anyone would be kind enough to tell me 'the scores on the doors' every now and then I would be grateful
If I don't vote, I won't get to see what people think!!
Hmmmm, difficult, I hate being a hypocrite as I really do believe there is no yes he should/no he shouldn't have it (same as right/wrong to me!) at this stage.
I shall just have to remain in ignorance I think - but if anyone would be kind enough to tell me 'the scores on the doors' every now and then I would be grateful
I agree with snowdrops that it is down to the family and child.
Our son Y8 asked for pocket money and the beginning of the school year and we decided against it, at the time we were paying for everything, not that it was lots. Probably £5 p/m on phone, school lunches and the odd computer game. We liked doing things this way as it gave us some control.
However, just after Xmas he was very insistant saying that he wanted to have control of his finances and being able to spend/save when he liked.
So now we have set him up with a bank account and a direct debit of £20 a month. I also put £5 on his lunch card a week, he takes packed lunch almost everyday, but this gives him the flexibility to buy a snack if he wants to.
He has to pay for his phone top ups and anything else he wants. As far a clothes are concerned, he is not at all interested so I buy all of those for him.
In return he has to do basic chores around the house when asked.
Interestingly, when I was paying for his phone, whenever his credit went down to about £3 he would say that he needed a top-up, now that he pays for it, he makes 80p last about a month.
Our son Y8 asked for pocket money and the beginning of the school year and we decided against it, at the time we were paying for everything, not that it was lots. Probably £5 p/m on phone, school lunches and the odd computer game. We liked doing things this way as it gave us some control.
However, just after Xmas he was very insistant saying that he wanted to have control of his finances and being able to spend/save when he liked.
So now we have set him up with a bank account and a direct debit of £20 a month. I also put £5 on his lunch card a week, he takes packed lunch almost everyday, but this gives him the flexibility to buy a snack if he wants to.
He has to pay for his phone top ups and anything else he wants. As far a clothes are concerned, he is not at all interested so I buy all of those for him.
In return he has to do basic chores around the house when asked.
Interestingly, when I was paying for his phone, whenever his credit went down to about £3 he would say that he needed a top-up, now that he pays for it, he makes 80p last about a month.
