Pocket money (merged)

Judith_W

Ignore the lunch £10, she is getting money for other things too.

I certainly think that you shouldn't just bung her some spending money for the guide trip if you have been telling her to save. Any chance you could ring up the guide leader to get an idea of what the minimum she could reasonably get away with, eg £50 and just top up her spending up to that amount. She would learn her lesson very quickly that way. And perhaps plan some spring cleaning the week or so before the trip so when she realises how little spending money she has saved, you can say, well, if you weed all the beds, clear through the garage and wash all the kitchen cupboards (or whatever) I'll give you an extra £x

FatVonD

My DS is 13 and he gets £25 per month paid directly into his account by standing order, he usually spends it on X-box games.

If he goes swimming or out with his friends I give him extra though during the last school holidays I paid the first 2 times then after that he used it to buy food/drinks when he went out with his friends.

We also reward our kids with £5 for every 1/A they get for effort on their school reports, neither of the boys are very academic so we choose to reward for effort rather than grade attained. My stepdaughter loves school so now she's at high school and also on the scheme it's costing us a fortune :eek: but to stop it would be punishing her for good behaviour.

I love the 50p x age x week formula, I've been looking for something like that for ages (I had been thinking along the lines of age x £2 per month) because my stepson is 15 now and currently gets the same as his 12 year old sister which doesn't seem fair.

Judith_W

Agree tidying own bedroom should not be paid. Nor should helping tidy away at the end of a meal to be honest. What about getting her to do some ironing?

peachyprice

shellsuit wrote: »

I'm sorry, but why should your daughter have to work so that she gets money to spend on school lunches?

Even school have told you they are at least £2.20 a day and you're only giving her £2 a day and want her to work for more money?

She's working hard in school, isn't that good enough?

She gets £8.50 a week for activities ~ why would you feel like a mug?

It's not like she's spending it on crap is it?

At last, someone else who's thinks it's bizarre to class school dinner money as pocket money! Surely it comes out of housekeeping?

LillythePink

My dd who is 11 gets £5 pw - but she does have certain things to do, and if she misses one, then she doesn't get anything. This money is for her to spend on what she wants, but we have been telling that she must save at least half of it for her holiday - which she has been happy to do.

She goes to her dad's every other weekend from Thursday evening to Monday morning - but she is not penalised for not doing her jobs so provided that she has done them all the other times, she still gets her money.

I do pay for guides and her youth club weekly and anything else that school throw at us like mufti days etc and her clothes - so really she is quids in.

She has packed lunches which she obviously doesn't pay for.

I think that expecting a child to work for their school lunch money is a little harsh, why can't she sit with her friends if she takes a packed lunch in?

Darlyd

peachyprice wrote: »

At last, someone else who's thinks it's bizarre to class school dinner money as pocket money! Surely it comes out of housekeeping?

No I certainly don't think that. But when I remembered the head of year saying dinners could possibly be £2.20 depends on child's hunger. But children can eat for less, And checking her print out of what she eats, well that is the reason why it's coming to more than £10 a week, She is buying to much especially at break, where she could just bring in a bag of crisps or a roll/sandwich for her break time. Instead she is having a pizza and a sausage roll or something else aswel as her main dinner at lunch time. I would never not give her money for her school dinner's unless she asked for a packed lunch. But I think £10 is enough. £2 a day for her dinners in plenty, (her dinner time comes to £1.70-£1.90) It's her break times she is spending on it where she does not need too.

Kids who bring in packed lunches sit separate to the ones who have dinners. (so she told me)

shellsuit

darlyd wrote: »

No I certainly don't think that. But when I remembered the head of year saying dinners could possibly be £2.20 depends on child's hunger. But children can eat for less, And checking her print out of what she eats, well that is the reason why it's coming to more than £10 a week, She is buying to much especially at break, where she could just bring in a bag of crisps or a roll/sandwich for her break time. Instead she is having a pizza and a sausage roll or something else aswel as her main dinner at lunch time. I would never not give her money for her school dinner's unless she asked for a packed lunch. But I think £10 is enough. £2 a day for her dinners in plenty, (her dinner time comes to £1.70-£1.90) It's her break times she is spending on it where she does not need too.

So give her £2 a day instead then and she can put it on every morning.

Problem solved!

peachyprice

darlyd wrote: »

She is buying to much especially at break, where she could just bring in a bag of crisps or a roll/sandwich for her break time. Instead she is having a pizza and a sausage roll or something else aswel as her main dinner at lunch time.

Kids who bring in packed lunches sit separate to the ones who have dinners. (so she told me)

Blimey, is she piling on the pounds eating all that?

I think that's so unnecessary sitting children separatley just because they have packed lunch, I really cannot understand the reasoning behind it. They've just stopped doing it at my DD's school, thank goodness.

Darlyd

peachyprice wrote: »

Blimey, is she piling on the pounds eating all that?

Yes she is bless her. Makes me giggle as she takes 2 rivitas to bed with her to help her lose weight. I really do need to sit her down and explain to her about her eating habits. (she also finishes off DD2 dinner). But don't want her ending up with an eating disorder.

Mice_Elf

darlyd wrote: »

This is the question I have been wanting to know.

My DD is 12, I give her £10 every Monday to put on her finger (electronic) for school dinners, But by the Friday I am having to go into the school and put more on as she has spent it all .

How can I get it through to her she needs to do things to receive money?

I would stop putting money on her electronic finger & going into school to pay for her meals myself. If she starts helping out in the house more, then more trust can be earned & you will start topping up the Finger again.

However, if she's going to continue acting like a child (not helping, or doing chores), you will treat her as same.

No more treats & to be honest, the money you're putting away for her makes a rod for your own back. Why *should* she help out when you'll just give her the money anyway? Where's the incentive? She may not know about it yet, but I can almost guarantee you've done this before - given her money when she hasn't got any for something. I'm not judging - I am just as bad & having to rein myself in when I tell my daughter she has £x to spend & she wants something costing £x.y, or even £Z.