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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To deduct money from pocket money for 'breakages'

10 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 02/12/2013 19:16

I've put 'breakages' in inverted commas as dd (stroppy teen) appears to be deliberately attempting to do chores badly to get out of them.

I think it's not a punishment but instead a simple 'they need to be replaced' thing.

Dh thinks it looks like a punishment.

If it makes any difference she has a lot of pocket money - £100 a month and has not had to do chores for 18 months as we were trying to encourage her to do her homework.

Instead we said the only thing she had to do was keep her very large room tidy and put her clothes away.

So we've gone back to having her contribute a little to the running of the household.

OP posts:

hipocondriaco · 02/12/2013 19:18

Deliberate breakages, fine. Accidental breakages no.

CrohnicallySick · 02/12/2013 19:19

£100 a month? Seriously? I used to get £30 a month- but had to chip in with chores to earn that. Of course she can pay to replace stuff!

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 02/12/2013 19:20

How many breakages are we talking. About out of interest. One is an accident , two needs more concentration, more than that is just plain silly

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 02/12/2013 19:21

And if you could tell me how to tell the difference with a very stroppy teenager I'm all ears

She's just done her first chore (hoovering the kitchen) and was very aggressively whamming the nozzle into the kick board of the kitchen unit

I have no doubt that 'accidents' will happen when I ask her to put her plate in the dishwasher

OP posts:

CoffeeTea103 · 02/12/2013 19:21

Yanbu, you are teaching her valuable lessons.

ASmidgeofMidge · 02/12/2013 19:23

How old is she?

SteamWisher · 02/12/2013 19:24

£100 a month? That's a lot.

She should be helping and if she breaks stuff, she pays out of her incredibly generous allowance.

WooWooOwl · 02/12/2013 19:24

YANBU.

My oldest is 13, and I've been making him to pay for things he's lost out of carelessness for the last two years. As a result, he very rarely loses anything.

cathpip · 02/12/2013 19:27

Yanbu, I would casually tell her how much a plate costs or a replacement Hoover for that matter, if she is going to continue to show her displeasure at being asked to help with household chores by doing it badly or not being careful :)

IamInvisible · 02/12/2013 19:28

If she couldn't be arsed need encouragement to do her homework so hadn't been doing any chores, she would not have been getting anything like £100 a month off us.

In our house we all pitch in because we all live here, and if they want that sort of money they go out and earn it, which they do!

YANBU

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