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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think my Mum is wrong.

154 replies

codswallup · 01/04/2019 09:39

My mum started paying my DS & DD spending money about 5 years ago every week. When my DD turned 18 recently she told her that she wouldn't be giving her any more spending but will still give my DS,who is 13, spending money. So overall when my DS reaches 18 he will have received more spending money than my DD. I think this is wrong because they should be treated the same. So because of this my sister has decided to give my DD spending money until my DS reaches 18 then they've both received the same, my mum doesn't know about this arrangement. I can't mention any of this issue to my mum as she's hard work to talk to about anything especially regarding money, life is easier to keep your mouth shut than to approach her about her decision.
AIBU with this situation?

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 01/04/2019 09:42

Strange arrangement all round.

AguerosAngel · 01/04/2019 09:42

I think YABU. It’s your Mum’s decision to stop when each child is 18, she’s been very generous giving them spends. Your DS can’t help it that he’s younger than your DD, is DD working in some capacity and earning some money of her own?

Chocolateisfab · 01/04/2019 09:43

At 18 your dc should have a pt job to provide own spending money. I agree with your dm. Your dsis is bonkers.

OneBILLIONDollars · 01/04/2019 09:43

Yabu. Her money, her decision

BarrenFieldofFucks · 01/04/2019 09:44

Why are your family members giving your kids money? Yes, you are being unreasonable. You mother is being perfectly reasonable. Unless you mention it to your older child are they really going to go down this rabbit hole?

purpleme12 · 01/04/2019 09:44

I think it sounds reasonable what your mum is doing. When we turned 18 our aunties and uncles stopped giving us presents. This meant my little sister still got them but I didn't but I could see the logic in it to be honest. So I didn't feel resentment about that

Disfordarkchocolate · 01/04/2019 09:45

I think you are taking them being treated the same too far. The 'same' in this arrangement is it ending at 18 when the adult can get a job not how long it lasts for.

TheQueef · 01/04/2019 09:46

18 year olds get jobs to earn money they don't get spending money Hmm

Ffsnosexallowed · 01/04/2019 09:47

My mil gives my 2dds £5 a week pocket money. She'll stop giving dd2 money when she's 18. Adults don't get pocket money. Yabu and ungrateful

IvanaPee · 01/04/2019 09:48

What??

Why aren’t you bankrolling your own children?

museumum · 01/04/2019 09:48

At 18 your dd has far more opportunities to earn money than your ds has at 13. I don’t see why an adult would receive “pocket money” just because their younger sibling does.
Fair treatment of siblings does not mean identical.
If one has a football lesson for £5 and the other a swimming lesson for £8 you wouldn’t transfer the difference in cost to the other would you.

GPatz · 01/04/2019 09:48

Your DD is 18. Surely she will understand that she was very lucky at all to be getting spending money from her DGM and would not begrudge her DB from continuing to do so.

codswallup · 01/04/2019 09:48

My DD has started working so I understand why my Mum has stopped paying her but my issue is that she started paying them both at the same time so overall my DS will get more than my DD.

OP posts:
LordNibbler · 01/04/2019 09:48

You think your mum has a difficult attitude to money? Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You're being ridiculous.

GPatz · 01/04/2019 09:49

So tell your Mum to stop giving money to DS then. That makes it fair.

purpleme12 · 01/04/2019 09:50

Mmm I still agree with the above poster who said you're taking treating them both equally too far here (coming from someone whose sister is loved and treated better than me)

codswallup · 01/04/2019 09:51

@IvanaPee I didn't say I wasn't 'bankrolling' them. I pay for other things myself as a single parent. I'm talking about what my mum gives them not what I provide for them.

OP posts:
Hollowvictory · 01/04/2019 09:51

Equal. Doesn't mean the same
How kuxh money are we talking about?

Alsohuman · 01/04/2019 09:52

Bloody hell, people really think like this? Seriously?

PutyourtoponTrevor · 01/04/2019 09:52

Ridiculous of you and ridiculous of your sister!

whifflesqueak · 01/04/2019 09:52

So your dd will continue to receive money from your sister until she’s 23? That’s nuts.

Not everything in life is totally fair. This is just one of those things.

WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 01/04/2019 09:52

YABVU. Do you tot up every penny spent on your DC to ensure they always have precisely the same spent on them? What if one has a bigger appetite and costs more to feed, hmm?, howya gonna square that?!

Tomtontom · 01/04/2019 09:53

It's pocket money to be spent now, not a lump sum in a savings account.

You are being unreasonable.

CielBleuEtNuages · 01/04/2019 09:54

I do think this is unfair but that's life. Bit odd that it's your sister chipping in though.

MIL gives our boys pocket money and has from when they turned 2. Unfortunately she gives an amount based on their ages so the older one gets more than the younger one. Which is tricky to deal with when they both want to save up and buy the same toy but DS2 has to save for longer.

Eventually I asked DH to have a word with her and she aligned the amounts. I don't feel bad about it as we gave her the option to give less to DS1 rather than more to DS2 (we're talking a couple of euros difference once a month).

Boom45 · 01/04/2019 09:54

What? This is very weird. Why would it matter that one child got more than the other overall? I assume by "spending money" you're talking about a few quid not a deposit for a house worth of extra money?
I think you need to chill a little and accept your mums generosity with a bit of grace.

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