18 year old contributing to household bills

[Legoandbarefeet]

Evening mumsnetters. I’m interested to hear whether any of you have young adults living at home and if so do they contribute financially.
I’ve an 18 year who helps out with bsbysitting the youngest and works part time now they have finished college. I just wondered whether others in my situation ask for a continuation and if so how much?
For context I am a single parent working full time (NHS) not in receipt of benefits but not well off.
I left home at 16 and was living independently so obviously never contributed.
Thanks in advance

My 19 yr old is a uni student living at home. I charge £50 a month for food/electric/gas/internet. I think its very reasonable considering a room in halls in £110 pw.

@MrsDThomas

My 19 yr old is a uni student living at home. I charge £50 a month for food/electric/gas/internet. I think its very reasonable considering a room in halls in £110 pw.

What does she pay you with?

Why do you adk?

My 18yo will be working full time from September and other than taking over paying for his mobile phone bill, I’m not asking him to contribute to the bills until he’s earning more than he will be. I’m paying his first year car insurance too which he’ll pay himself from next year. Just a helping hand but appreciate it will be tighter in other households

@MrsDThomas

Because they want to know if you are taking student loan off them or their part time wages. Of course if they lived out they would have bills to pay all by themselves, in a lot of people’s lives their parents can’t pay their rent for them. Just on here it’s cruel to ask your kids to pay towards the house they live in and the food they eat

Depends what they are up to.

My son was working full-time at 18 and he preferred taking over responsibility for bills rather than paying keep.

In his case he paid phone and food

😂 @Menora!

Taking a student loan off them. Well well, how evil is that!

At 19 they are adults and are responsible for their lifestyle. She also runs her own car, buys her own fuel.

Well i was at that age. But its a long time ago and things must have changes a lot.

I think if they were working PT or FT permanently then I would, but if they are still considering going back into education in September then I would delay taking any money (apart from maybe to cover phone contract or something) and then reconsider in September.

For what it's worth, DS is working PT over the summer - I'm making him contribute a token amount to insuring the car (he's recently passed his test) and I'm not really giving him extra spends at the moment (apart for some essential clothing items). We are encouraging him to save half of what he is earning for September when he goes to uni (rather than frittering it away).

Ds pays £80a week towards bills and food out of his income of £330 pw. Leaving 250 for him to do whatever the hell he wants with. I can't spend money I dont have, so if he's living at home he has to contribute (( don't worry, I'm not making a profit. Im still on the bones of my arse and still going without by not downsizing so he still has his own room.))

I think it depends on what you can afford. My DD is living at home, working full time and doing part time Masters. I have agreed not to charge her anything for her keep whilst she is still studying. She has a year left of her Masters. In the meantime she is paying off her student overdrafts and will be financing her second year of car insurance (expensive!) on her own. Will have a discussion if she decides to do more study (law related). In my head I am supporting her to get a good job so that she can become financially independent and move out. I did charge her keep during a gap year when she worked full time living at home.

@CatsArePeople

I used to think so in the past, but not anymore. Everyone has certain responsibilities in the family. And it isn't too much to ask of a teenager to watch their younger sibling for an hour or two sometimes

But that’s not childcare. Watching a younger sibling now and again is just part and parcel of being in a family.

Regular, substantial childcare responsibilities are for those who choose to have/look after children or those who are paid to look after children.

@MrsDThomas

Why do you adk?

Because I wanted to know?

[quote Merryoldgoat]@CatsArePeople

I used to think so in the past, but not anymore. Everyone has certain responsibilities in the family. And it isn't too much to ask of a teenager to watch their younger sibling for an hour or two sometimes

But that’s not childcare. Watching a younger sibling now and again is just part and parcel of being in a family.

Regular, substantial childcare responsibilities are for those who choose to have/look after children or those who are paid to look after children.[/quote]

Totally agree. This isn't "please watch Oliver for an hour while I shop for groceries." It's affecting the teen's life. She didn't choose for her mother to get involved with someone and start a second family. And now she's supposed to pick up financial responsibility as well??