Should 16 year olds get pocket money or get a job?

I’m with your husband on this. Both mine worked through GCSEs and college

School/college may have a guide eg no more than 8 hrs a week was dc’s sixth form.
My dc worked in McDonalds which was very local and paid above minimum wage. She didn’t work too much and still came out with top grades. It definitely did her good in terms of dealing with customers/manager etc. Problem is lots of jobs aren’t set shifts like a Saturday job. Friends did waitressing, June football ref, lifeguard, kids after school club. The skills gained were useful for university applications in some cases.
If degree apprenticeship is on radar than they look for ability to juggle work and study they are ultra competitive.
We did give dd allowance too £50 a month plus bus fare and bought her clothes etc. we also paid driving lessons.

Can you afford it? Does she help out at the house?

Personally I'd probably give her £20/week and she works out what to spend it on. She can pack a lunch and save money, or buy stuff throughout the week. Good to start to learn how to budget. I pack a lunch for work myself so wouldn't see any issue expecting a child to do the same (my 8/12 year olds pack their lunches for school)

I'd also expect she gets a summer/Christmas job to save up for the rest of the year.

My parents stopped paying for extras when I was 12 and got my first babysitting jobs (the 90s were different!) but they couldn't really afford to and it wasn't difficult to make enough for me to do most of what I wanted to do.

My 17yo DD has worked since she was 15. She had a job at a doggy day care first, & then moved to a supermarket when she was 16.

she dors 10 hours a week, & it does not impact her studying. She enjoys it & her confidence has increased greatly.

I also give her some pocket money.
she pays for her own clothes, car insurance & toiletries

works really well for us.

her 14yo sister is sick for a job, but knows she’s just going to have to wait

@LBFseBrom I agree that it depends on income I only spoke of what I plan to do. I have worked since I was 16 and whilst it didn’t do me any harm I found uni years hard as I had to support myself completely and worked 4/5 days a week. Want to do different for my kids whilst still instilling in them the importance of working and managing your own funds.

Yes I believe we should support our children financially while they are in education, until they are reasonably 'set up', but how much depends on our income.

My son got a Saturday job at fourteen! That really is a bit young and there was never any pressure from us but he saw an advert and wanted to do it. He also worked there part time in the holidays right up until after he was 21. It did him a lot of good and he enjoyed it. However the money he earned was his, he still got his allowance.

I never did anything until I had finished school, managed to enjoy myself on very little :). My late husband worked for an off licence and when he passed his driving test at 17, did deliveries for them in a van. He did that job in the sixth form and as a student until he was 22. I didn't know him then, pity because it would have been nice to have a boyfriend with a bit of cash :-).

How about babysitting? We used to hire a 16 year old who lived down the road to babysit for us (kids were primary age so not babies, and her mum was at home for back up, not that she ever needed it)

I’m a firm believer in them getting a Saturday job if they can. My two both did and still managed good A level grades.

@Dramatic i don’t think either of you are wrong per se but more different parenting styles maybe? My kids aren’t 16 but my intention is to fund them until they are off to uni and then expect them to get a part time job for their social lives whilst providing them shelter and essentials.

Our 17yo doesn't have a job yet (she's applied) so we give her an allowance. When she gets a job we'll review how much she gets but I didn't get a PT job till the summer between school and uni (and had passed my driving test so could get myself there) so am fairly relaxed about it. She's going to do her lifeguard training in the Easter so will hopefully get a job after that.

I think they should have a p/t job but finding one is easier said than done. My DD tried loads bur even lots of cafe/coffee shop places now serve alcohol which rules out employing them.

She works all day on a saturday, we pay for her mobile phone, £20 a week for lunch at college, we drive her there and back (rubbish bus service), she js learning to drive as 17 now (we pay for lessons). She uses her wages for nails, make up, things she wants. We cover what she needs. She also gets £100 a month pocket money and has household chores to do to earn that.

My kids always worked, paperround before school and then hospitality.
My youngest is 26 now.
That being said, I do think it's alot harder for them to get a job now under 18, unless they know someone who will employ them

As your daughter is still in education I believe she should still receive an allowance from you, most kids do. A part time job is an extra and it may not last. If parents are in straightened circumstances and there is no spare cash, it's a different matter of course but you haven't said that.

My dd2 has just started her first Saturday job age 16 (17 in August). She's on the tills at a local family run garden centre and omfg the stories she comes back with about the rudeness of SO many elderly customers.

I've never been able to afford to pay pocket money regularly but GPs gave them the odd £20 here and there and they saved birthday/Christmas money to have a small fund which was eked out carefully. We live quite rurally so there's not loads to do, generally seeing their mates is a fiver on sweets and hanging out at someone's house.

Dd1 got her first job bussing tables in a pub at 17. She works (part time) in uni holidays and does some babysitting while at uni.

I still buy all essentials for Dd2 (her dad doesn't contribute so it's tricky), phone contract etc, but she's super excited about having a bit more of her own money. She has a Vinted account and keeps all the money she makes from selling clothes (and spends it all on more Vinted stuff, as do I).

I worked from 13.5 (different times) at a local harvester, bussing tables then waitressing/bar as I got older. Absolutely believe it stood me in good stead, of course it depends on their studies/time management etc but if they can get a few hours somewhere, I think it's good for them. Even if I could have afforded to give them pocket money I'd have wanted them to work to top it up.

Job.

Our 16 year old doesn’t have a job but we live rurally and there’s no public transport, so it wouldn’t be simple logistically. We give him £50 a month and extra for college lunches. However, he is expected to help around the house so he does his own washing, puts the dishwasher on etc. We run our own business so he does come to work with us sometimes to earn some extra money.

I prefer mine to focus on their studies so have no expectations of DS getting a job when he is in college next year. We will pay for his phone, clothes etc and give him around £25 per week.
If he wanted to get a job though I would support it.

And notwithstanding your apparent sarcasm, that WAS good advice I gave you. Best to start your own thread as it will drive traffic. You're liable to get posters biting your head off for reviving a zombie thread.

Also https://www.instagram.com/breakroomhq?igsh=OTdwZGh3djd3Znk3

on insta share companies that hire 16 year olds as well as the pay rates. Waitrose pay brilliantly for instance

I would pay for clothes, toiletries, travel, lunches and give £60 pcm.

I have 3 teens and they all worked at 16 - luckily very locally (kitchen porter, farm shop and vineyard). It’s been really great for their mental health and confidence. Don’t underestimate what working with adults and being appreciated does. A very troubled 16 year old DS worked very hard all summer and it changed his life. My other 16 year old is a driven high academic achiever and it has benefited him too- and he will be putting his skills from it in his university application. In his case 5 hours on a Sunday isn’t affecting his studies

Thanks for your support, came on here today for the first time get advice

16 is the prime age for maturity in my eyes, pocket money stops and work starts.
As soon as i left school i got myself a parttime at the old bakers

Even if shes in full time education, she can still get a saturday job

I recommend starting a new thread for a start, as this one's well old.

I give my daughter 40 per month but pay for toiletries, travel and top ups. She’s now got a Saturday job and I’m not sure what to do about pocket money, it seems a lot to have wages and pocket money. Was thinking of giving PM and saying it’s for bus fairs and food, wages for whatever and saving and I still buy toiletries and clothes that she needs. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do 🤷🏻‍♀️