To not give teenage DD "her" child benefit?

[Memoo]

Dd is my eldest at thirteen and has asked if she can have the child benefit I receive for her every month. Apparently, it's what a lot of her friends parents do.

I have said an absolute no.

She already receives pocket money and besides all the usual costs of looking after a 13 year old we pay for her gym and dance lessons as well as occasional trips to the cinema, town etc.

Am I really being unreasonable?

We put the CB in a building society account for DD ever since she was a baby. Originally the idea was that this would maybe pay her way through Uni - but then tuition fees came in and blew that out of the water. However, there should be enough to more or less cover her living costs by the time she goes. She has always known it was there but also knows what it is intended for. She is pretty sensible so I don't think she will fritter it when she does get her hands on it.

I don't see her as cheeky TBH - she just doesn't really understand the value of money yet. I don't think most 13 year olds do - even the savvy ones. That's what you'd expect, surely?

It is something you need to remember for choice occasions in the future, though ... when she is moaning about her own children, for example ...

I was given my CB from this age but my parents then stopped paying for clothes/clubs and social life -if I ran out of money by the end of the month then I went without

if you can afford to do it I think it's actually a really good way to teach budgeting

no don't give it to her. the government gives it to you so that you can feed her and keep her clothed/warm.

i got mine from about 14 IIRC
out of that i had to buy toiletries, make up, tampons (i remember being at the cost!) bus fares, clothes (except school uniform), books, days out, snacks, magazine, pretty much everything apart from bed and board.
we were far from rich (mum was on benefits to top up her wages) so i can only assume she thought this was a good deal .

it was a good learning experience TBH, in that if you go out and spend it all on the first day of the month, it's a looooong time until the next payday.

I think I might do this when mine are old enough. Wish I'd had a bit more financial wherewithall / someone had taught me how to budget before I went off to uni...