Can you help settle a dispute between DS and me?

[MoniqueTonique]

My 15 yr old DS gets £50 a month allowance from us. This is to pay for things like going out with his friends, buying games for his PlayStation etc. We buy all of his clothes and pay for his phone contract. He can also earn an extra £5 a week by doing chores.
We are planning a trip to the cinema, just me and him. DS thinks I should pay for his ticket because he's going with his mum, not his friends. I think he should pay because that's what his allowance is for, and we are effectively paying anyway given that we provide the allowance.
Any thoughts on who is right, or what you do in your family? Thanks.

I would side with your DS in this. You are taking him to the cinema. If he was taking you I would say he should pay for both tickets. I would expect him to pay for his own popcorn and drink though.

I would also side with your son on this one.

I'm with your DS on this

I think he's right on this. Don't feel the need to splurge on snacks, though.

Do you have financial issues? Can you afford his ticket? If not, then it's reasonable and explain uou cant afford it. But if you can then it's really tight to expect to take him to the cinema and he has to buy his own ticket. I can't imagine doing that to my daughter. She's now 21 and I'd still pay for her, even though she earns.

I agree with your DS

I’m on your DS side with this one

I'm with your DS here.

I wouldn't expect him to his way on a day out with me.

Pay

OK point taken, DS will be delighted No financial issues, its only a fiver. I always buy snacks etc. Next question, I feel to make it fair I should give younger DS equivalent fiver, he's 5 years younger so won't be coming to see the movie as its not suitable. Would you do this too?
Very helpful to read the replies by the way.

Your Ds is right. By your logic you'd never treat him ever. Family meals out you'd expect him to pay, PlayStation game for Christmas you'd expect him
To pay.... sometimes it's nice to treat your kids!

He does get loads of treats by the way, and if we all went as a family we pay.

You should pay for his ticket.

Pressumably he wouldn't be expected to pay his share of a family day out so why would he pay for this?

Won't you do something different with your other kid?

Honestly your mind set is really reigimented and downright odd.

And no I wouldn't be giving my younger the equivalent as we might go another time.

Don't you do things with your younger son on his own, though? If not, give him a fiver!

I wouldn't give £5 to ds2. Sometimes you go out with one child and not the other, it all evens out in the end.

You should pay and do something with other ds another time rather than the cash equivalent.

Agree with everyone else that you should pay, and don’t give your other son a fiver as presumably you’ll do something similar with him another time?

Of course you pay when you take your child anywhere. Unless money is tight then I think you pay for them till they're working and have their own income.
His pocket money is his for extras.

No you don't need to give your younger DS a fiver. I assume you pay for him when you take him out and don't give your elder DS the equivalent amount of money spent on young DS? Maybe you do🙄
What a strange mindset you have!

If you do something with the younger son, do you give the older the equivalent amount of money OP? I doubt it!

I wouldn't personally be attaching quite such monetary value to every thing the family does!