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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My 16 year old has just told me...

403 replies

itwasadarkandstormy · 04/10/2017 11:26

... that all his friends are given £200 a week by their parents as spending money. I'm calling bullshit.

Actually, I feel like I've had the stuffing knocked out of me. I thought I was generous at about £80 a week.

So, AIBU?

OP posts:
BeatriceBeaudelaire · 04/10/2017 13:28

Hahahaaha

At that age I got £50 a month and it was a lot more than my mates.
£200 is more than the richest guy in my uni friends group got and that was to cover actual living costs.

BeatriceBeaudelaire · 04/10/2017 13:31

Bye to show my experience is relative... I was 16 in 2011... times haven’t changed that much.

sinceyouask · 04/10/2017 13:33

Suuuuuuuure they do.
Do you live in in SW7 or something?

Hadenoughtoday · 04/10/2017 13:35

My 20yo DD at uni gets £80 a week to cover food/books/toiletries/washing clothes and travel - living in London - why are you paying your 16yo that much? Haven't read all through sorry

SandyY2K · 04/10/2017 13:38

I'm glad to see I'm not mean with the amount I give. I can only presume you and his friends parents have a very high income thdt leaves that much money to give.

Do you actually see what he's spending it on?

Kids do have more expensive tastes nowadays - we used tunnel make up, teenagers nowadays use MAC and othe rexpensive brands that I can’t even afford as a grown up!

Despite high tastes and my girls use Mac make up....they don't get do much pocket money.

One babysit for extras. The other one (DD14), bakes birthday cakes for extra money.

You're asking for trouble giving do much pocket money.

SandyDenny · 04/10/2017 13:38

I've only read the op's posts and this has probably already been mentioned but if my 16 year old was spending £80 a week I'd be worried he was on drugs or had a drink problem.

What does he spend it on?

Babyroobs · 04/10/2017 13:40

£80 a week - does that cover bus fares and school/ college lunches etc? My 16 year old ds gets £100 a month allowance into his bank account, but then we pay for bus pass to college and give him extra for lunches. So it's his share of the Child benefit ( £60) and £40 he earns for supposedly walking the dog. He is currently looking for a part time job though.

Allthebestnamesareused · 04/10/2017 13:46

My DS gets £40 a MONTH!!

What is your DS spending his money on?

DiegoMadonna · 04/10/2017 13:46

Of course I mention getting a job. Every. Bloody. Day

Why would he get a job when he already gets all the money he needs from you? 80 quid a week? Jeez!

I had a paper round from 13-16 and worked in a supermarket from 16-uni because my fairly well-off parents didn't give me an allowance and I wanted to buy clothes/computer games/go to the cinema with friends/etc.

I plan to do the same with my kids in a few years.

The80sweregreat · 04/10/2017 13:48

That is a lot of money. I wouldnt think that many parents could afford this!

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2017 13:49

To be fair, there aren't the jobs for 16 year olds there used to be. Ds's friends find it really hard to find work. And do you really want them working loads of hours when they are studying?

NinonDeLenclos · 04/10/2017 13:49

200 a week is a salary.

PoppyPopcorn · 04/10/2017 13:51

£200 a week is outrageous. You know this is ridiculous, so "feeling like the stuffing has been knocked out of you" is an irrational response.

A more reasonable response would be an eye roll and a shrug of the shoulders.

HSMMaCM · 04/10/2017 13:52

DD gets less than £80 and she's at uni paying for all her own food, books, laundry etc.

hmcAsWas · 04/10/2017 13:52

We are what most people would describe as wealthy (not a stealth boast - relevant fact to this discussion), and I do not give our 15 year old dd anything like this kind of money. She gets a measly £30 per month clothes allowance (I buy school uniform, school and practical shoes, winter coat, underwear and socks / tights - she buys her 'fashion items')

Obv she lives at home so I buy essentials like toiletries, travel card for getting to and from school etc. However, for cosmetics, jewellery, other discretionary bits she buys these or gets them for Christmas and birthday. We are generous at Christmas and birthday however. We also bung her some cash for a good parents evening / good school report.

I will give her a twenty pound note now and then if she goes to the cinema with friends - but this is once a forthnight max. She is too busy with schoolwork, after school sport etc to go out more than that....

I am highly sceptical of your 16 year olds claims!

DiegoMadonna · 04/10/2017 13:54

"I feel like I've had the stuffing knocked out of me"

is a hilarious overreaction Grin

Fuzzymum1 · 04/10/2017 13:58

My 19 year old is still in fulltime education. We give him £30 a month, for which he has to take out the recycling daily, sweep the bathroom, landing, stairs, hallway and kitchen daily and wipe the bathroom and kitchen floor once or twice a week. He also earns about £20-30 a week April-october cleaning boats. He feels this arrangement is perfectly fine as he accepts that we all live here and keeping the house clean and tidy is everyone's responsibility.

My 10 year old gets £2.50 a week pocket money plus he gets paid 50p per piece of completed homework - He has PDA and homework is massively anxiety-inducing for him. Some weeks he can complete all 3 or 4 pieces, other weeks it might be 1 or none - we never pressure him to do it but he can choose to earn some extra for doing it. He saves most of it as he's saving up to buy a graphics tablet for his hobby of animating.

clippityclock · 04/10/2017 13:58

This has got to be a piss take!!

Ewock · 04/10/2017 14:00

I'm sure this is total bs, but I have to ask what does he need it for? What is he spending it on? As an adult with 2 kids I don't spend that a week (if I take out food, mortgage, bills etc).

HackneyP · 04/10/2017 14:01

Age 16 I got a job. I was never given cash but didn't have to pay board that was generous enough. Come on OP teach him some responsibility, cut off the mad money and make him get a bloody job. You'll be doing him a massive favour.

NumbersLetters · 04/10/2017 14:03

We give ours 40 a week for all clothes, school lunches and fun. He earns another 20 a week independently. He reckons he's saved everything we and his gps have given him in the last year.

schoolgaterebel · 04/10/2017 14:06

My 16 DS gets £30 a month pocket money, he has a dishwashing job and earns a further £10 per weekend.

I buy all his clothes, pay for his phone contract, transport to college and food at college. Occasionally if he is going out with friends to the cinema or a meal I’ll give him £10.

He usually gets money for Christmas and birthdays.

He pays for all his own entertainment money otherwise and skateboarding accessories etc.

ineverbakecakes · 04/10/2017 14:08

Is this for real? £80 a week??? Sound like a fairly effective way of raising an entitled little shit with no work ethic or concept of the value of money. If you want your kid to be successful in life cut the handouts and tell them to work for their money.

Who even has £80 surplus every week to just give away Confused

BitchQueen90 · 04/10/2017 14:10

£80 a week!

At his age I got nothing. I had £25 a week from my part time job and managed on that. This was in 2006 so not THAT long ago.

As for £200 a week... 😂

Norland · 04/10/2017 14:12

Lazy journalist posts bollocks statements on website and lots of subscribers provide plenty of written examples/copy for next week's rag....?

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