Pocketmoney Discussion Thread

tosca5

RichardJohn wrote: »

In my experience, it's usually the other way... the kids who don't have any money end up hanging around the streets (because they can't afford to do anything else), and end up meeting unsavoury characters.

What a load of bull:rolleyes:
I never had any money and didn't hang around the streets meeting unsavory characters:eek:
Your totally wrong, i know plenty youngsters who don't get pocket money and there certainly not out and about meeting all sorts or getting into trouble.

Merlot

I have two children one 9 and one 10, they both get £15 per month just now, but in May my DD will be eleven and ready to go to high school, will then get £40 paid into her bank account, with that she pays for everything she needs with the exception of school meals and uniform. Annual increase of £10 has been agreed between me and OH.

Gosh, I may have to return to work to pay for my childrens allowances...I hope the government increases child benefit;). I will be encouraging my children to get saturday jobs once they are fifteen, but on no account any paper rounds, far too rural here.

LouBlue

Merlot wrote: »

I will be encouraging my children to get saturday jobs once they are fifteen, but on no account any paper rounds, far too rural here.

Agree with the paper rounds. I think 15 is the right age to have a Saturday job, my niece is coping perfectly well with her exams and studying and she is learning some important life lessons with the job, ie interaction with different people, customer service skills, working hard and getting paid for it. Most of her friends her age do not have a Saturday job, they don't want one.....obviously....but are envious of the money she has to spend and then go ask their parents for more money!

merlinormartin

My sister who is 14 gets £50 per month for phone, magazines, cinema etc although she recently got a job at a beauty shop working 16hpw and she gets £200pm.

gregg1

LouBlue wrote: »

Agree with the paper rounds. I think 15 is the right age to have a Saturday job, my niece is coping perfectly well with her exams and studying and she is learning some important life lessons with the job, ie interaction with different people, customer service skills, working hard and getting paid for it. Most of her friends her age do not have a Saturday job, they don't want one.....obviously....but are envious of the money she has to spend and then go ask their parents for more money!

I want my daughter to wait until she is 16 before she gets a Saturday job after she has completed her GCSE's. She is not particularly academic and is working extremely hard to do the best she can in her exams but it does not come easy to her at all. In her case, I think it's best for her to concentrate on the exams - she is already exhausted by the end of the week from doing four after school sessions a week. There is plenty of time for her to start work when she has completed her studies.

LouBlue

gregg1 wrote: »

I want my daughter to wait until she is 16 before she gets a Saturday job after she has completed her GCSE's. She is not particularly academic and is working extremely hard to do the best she can in her exams but it does not come easy to her at all. In her case, I think it's best for her to concentrate on the exams - she is already exhausted by the end of the week from doing four after school sessions a week. There is plenty of time for her to start work when she has completed her studies.

I completely understand that, and its a good idea that she should wait til they are over.

Oldernotwiser

merlinormartin wrote: »

My sister who is 14 gets £50 per month for phone, magazines, cinema etc although she recently got a job at a beauty shop working 16hpw and she gets £200pm.

I'm afraid that I think that this is far too many hours a week for a child to be working! I'm not even sure that it's legal. Having £250 spending money per month at 14 is just ridiculous and will in no way prepare her for adult life. Many adults in good jobs have nothing like this amount of money left for personal spending.

wherediditallgo

merlinormartin wrote: »

My sister who is 14 gets £50 per month for phone, magazines, cinema etc although she recently got a job at a beauty shop working 16hpw and she gets £200pm.

I'd be very interested in how those hours are worked, as her employers could be breaking the law. This site has more info about the laws on when you can start working.

Even if she is legally allowed to work, I'd be very worried about how she's managing to do a 16-hour week on top of all her schoolwork. Learning the work ethic, budgeting etc is all well & good, but at what cost to her education that will give her qualifications for a better job further down the line? And £200pm is too much money for a 14-year old to be managing, wherever & whoever she's getting it from.

I got pocket money until the age of 15, as my parents initially didn't agree with a young girl being out on the streets in the early hours where we lived, & once we moved it wasn't feasible anyway as I had to leave earlier for school because we were living further away from it. At 15, I got a part-time job that was basically only Saturdays, but had scope for overtime 1-2 evenings a week, which my parents only allowed me to do in school holidays or if there was something in particular that I needed the extra money for. When I turned 16, I worked for my mother's employers for at least half of the summer holiday plus I still did the Saturday job, so during my summer breaks I basically had a week to do what I wanted to, then did a 6-day week for at least 4 weeks, then had the rest of my holiday to do any 'me' things or prep for the start of the next school year.

It's great that so many parents want their children to learn money management, but they are still at school. There has to be a balance between working & school, otherwise the children could lose more than they gain in the end.

bushcaro

Hi - Can I have some suggestions how to pay pocket money fairly. I have 15yr girl ( wants to shop all the time), 13 year boy ( has a paper round) and 10 yr old boy. Have tried various ideas about earning monet from various chores - got too complicated..then got £2 each Sat if room was tidy, £5 if changed sheets and hoovered their room..
Apparently ALL their friends get given money for nowt !! I am the mean parent!
Can I have some ideas what you all do to come up with a best solution..do you give them all a flat amount regardles s of age...some of their friends also get a clothing allowance.

Thanks

Kimberley

Doesn't matter if their friends get money for doing nothing, these are your children and giving them money for doing chores will help them in the long run, although really they should do chores for nothing. My daughter (15) has her own paper round and so does my son (13) they get no pocket money from me, they earn it themselves. My youngest son (10) gets no money from me either, he helps my daughter on her paper round and she gives him £2 for doing so. I don't believe in giving money for doing chores, i do find it hard for them to do chores, but i'm finding other ways in doing so which are slowly working. Your son has his own round, so can't you get your daughter one too? That way they are both earning their own money.

Clothing allowance? Nah, my daughter gets £52 a month for her paper round, £8 a month of that is wages for my youngest son to help her. My middle son gets £38 a month and gets his own clothes. I do buy them clothes myself from their child benefit money, but if they want expensive things then they buy them themsleves.