How much money do you give Teenage DC a month.

[Bringminimoons]

Hey ! Just that really how much do you give teenagers a month and what do they use it for / expectations on what it should include ?
Asking after ds told my sister how much he got and her reaction to it.

Nothing for mine. She receives 20-40 a fortnight from her dad/grandparents (which she spends mainly on roblox 🙄).

I do take her for days out and buy her small bits like new pencil case and all her clothes etc.

Mine get £75 a month to cover clothes, other than basics, friends presents, going out with friends etc. I pay for phones, haircuts, basic clothes. If they want designer trainers, I pay what I would for basic trainers (they’re essential) and they pay the difference. They’re 15 and 14. The 14 year old spends the lot. The 15 year old saves and then splurges on something big. I’m trying to get them into good spending habits so I don’t tip up if they run out.

My teens get £100pm from us, for that they have household responsibilities (maintain bedrooms, hoover carpets weekly and fill/empty the dishwasher.

They both earn additional income also, (ds1 (15) is a grassroots ref) and ds2 (11) maintains his Grandads allotment and washes his Grandads car weekly.

We pay for everything they need, Ds1 saves and ds2 saves half of his and mostly spends his other half on gaming equipment etc..

@memberofthewedding
That wasn’t normal, that was abusive.
My DD15 gets £100pm, she spends on what she likes; clothes, makeup, nails.

mine get £120 a month, this is their social money and if they eat out with friends. We pay for phone, clothes, toiletries etc

15yo gets €25 per month September-May and €40 per month in the Summer. That is pure fun money and we pay for anything else she can justify.

Ds has £80 a month to spend on his hobbies, food out with friends and birthday presents etc for family. He's a good saver too. I pay for guitar lessons, his dad pays for his phone and Spotify. Obviously we buy clothes, school meals and so on. My mum also gives ds £10 a week.

OP
So from £350 your DS at 14 has to make sure he pays for everything he needs, other than food what responsibility do you take as a parent? 14 is young to have to budget and ensure he has enough and pay everything.
Maybe let him enjoy being young, he’ll have all that to worry about soon enough.

I wouldn't expect my ds, 15 to get a job atm because he volunteers at our local Community cinema each week which is a great thing to do so I wouldn't expect him to work on top of that, study, have a social life.

Gosh there are some high pocket money amounts on here.

Ds is 14 and I pay for everything he needs including mobile phone. I was going to start paying pocket money but then he wanted a gym membership at a pricier gym than I go to so he could go with his friend and elected to have that instead of pocket money.

Other than the gym and out cycling or playing basketball with his friends he doesn't go anywhere he needs money. He also gets quite a decent amount of birthday and Christmas money from myself and my parents and nowadays chooses trainers and clothes and puts the rest in his bank account and uses it on things he wants throughout the year.

I really hope he will find a part time job at 15 and enjoy making his own money that he can spend as he pleases like I did as a teen and enjoy the sense of independence that comes from that.

My DD's school (super selective grammar but not private) actively discourages paid employment during GCSE and A level studies. Their view is that down time from studying should spent on sports and socialising to give balance to the high pressure of school work- I agree with this and would not want my DD working until she's goes to uni (as-hoc babysitting, helping in her grandad's shop etc aside- I mean like a formal, regular, paid job)

15yr old daughter (Yr 11) gets £70 a month. She is expected to buy most of her clothes, make up, any fancy toiletries she wants (expensive hair shampoo etc) and it's money for any socialising (trips to town, cinema, bowling etc - when covid allows!)

DS16 gets £25 a month from us and about the same again from delivering the free papers. We also pay his phone £6pm.

We buy basic clothes, school uniform and toiletries, anything else he buys. He doesn’t have to do any specific jobs but does help out.

Eldest DS (2nd yr at uni) £80 per month plus pay for his mobile, Spotify and extras (uni trips etc) as needed. Youngest DS (about to turn 16) gets £50 per month to spend and also pay for his mobile and any clothes needed.

They both usually get cash at Christmas, for birthdays etc. No conditions attached to any of the money but they are generally expected to be decent human beings, help if asked and also apply themselves at school/uni.

Did people not enjoy working as a teenager? I did. I loved my jobs and the social aspect and the dignity of making and spending my own money.

It seems like a shame for kids to miss out on that and to be in the ridiculous position of not being able to get their first job because they can't provide a single reference or any evidence of ever having worked.

@TheHoneyBadger

Did people not enjoy working as a teenager? I did. I loved my jobs and the social aspect and the dignity of making and spending my own money.

It seems like a shame for kids to miss out on that and to be in the ridiculous position of not being able to get their first job because they can't provide a single reference or any evidence of ever having worked.

Depends what jobs they will be going for I suppose. I had a job sweeping hair in the hairdressers but my experiences at girl guides probably prepared me better for life tbh.

In answer to the poster above about what jobs their kids do.
Both my DSs play piano to a reasonably high standard. DS1 got a job as accompanist to a youth choir from about 14 and then was also offered a church organist post when he 15.
DS2 took over the church organist role when he was just shy of 14. (and also does occasional accompanying work as well).
Church rate is £200 odd a month, plus weddings and funerals at £100+ each.
A lot of churches struggle to find organists - and if your children are capable pianists (with very good sight-reading) it is a convertible skill to move to the organ. I might add that both my DSs had previously sung in church choirs so understood what goes on musically at a service.

12 and 14 year old, both get £10 a month.

I buy all clothes, toiletries and put treats in the shopping basket, so they tend to save the money and use it to buy computer games/Lego/extra sweet treats.

They don’t have phones and neither are into expensive clothes so they’re happy with £10, we will probably give them more as they get older and want more independence in what they buy.

My 16 year old gets £30 a month from us £20 from my mum and £10 from his grandad. We pay for his phone and scouts, he has to pay for his bus fares and if he wants lunch when he's out. If he wants something big he saves for it. He is really not into designer clothes, so we buy what he needs for everyday, if he wants something different he has to save for it.

I expect him to help out round the house because he's part of the family and he doesn't get a free ride. The only chore I pay him for is cutting the grass and hedges in the garden.

He's looking for a part time job so that he can take driving lessons.

@IanHBuckells I totally agree. Including work they bring home my son probable does 38 hours a week of school work, then he does 3 extra curriculum one which he competes in ( rugby ) and one that he will probably carry on as he gets older in to his career ( air cadets )
They need spare time to and change to be kids still. He has never given me much trouble tbh and works hard. I don’t see the need for him to work as well.

@HerMammy he never goes without and trust me he doesn’t complain this is how he prefers it. I don’t see it as responsibility I’m not asking him to provide for himself I’m providing the money it just means when he has to buy a new rugby kit etc he has his own money instead of chasing me for it. Trust me he doesn’t go without in life - far from it.

£100/month 17 years old expected to buy clothes and headphones, everything else is covered. Dd has a Saturday job which helps too!

My 15 year old gets £15 per month and £5 from granny. £20 per month. He has the opportunity to earn more at any stage at £10 an hour by cutting grass, washing cars, helping in our business. He usually tops it up to £50.

DD, 16 (Y11) has £10 per week put on her school card to buy lunch each day and I pay £1 per week for her mobile package. Every now and then I top up her ZIP card with £10 but most of her travel is free so it's probably less than £50 per year.
Essentials such as showergel, deodorant, socks, underwear, basic clothing, coat and school shoes are bought by me but anything she wants more expensive/branded versions of, she pays the difference with money she earns from selling old clothes on eBay/Depop, from babysitting or from the 'job' she's had since she was 11. She's happy to have secondhand clothes, trainers etc. so does a good job of finding branded clothes she'd like but within my budget.

Because she doesn't ask for money, I do sometimes give her the occasional £5 for food/towards cinema ticket or whatever if she's going out with friends in the holidays i.e. when I'm not topping up her lunch card.

My DS is 16 and gets his phone paid for, £40 a month pocket money and £40 a month to spend on clothes. I had to do it that way because he always wants expensive clothes so now he buys what he can with his allowance and tops his money up at birthday and Christmas.