Is it morally wrong to spend your children's Christmas money and vouchers?

[Comedycook]

First of all let me start by saying I have no intention of doing this so no need to flame me, but I was wondering as my children between them have received over £100 from various relatives...all comes via me. Don't worry, I fully intend to give to my children!

But it got me thinking, let's say you were completely skint, would you use your children's Christmas money or vouchers to pay for food or essentials? Is it morally wrong or would you see it as necessary?

No, don’t do this. They are their vouchers, not yours. And yes, it is morally wrong, as if you even needed to ask.

I like to think I wouldn't. But I've never been in a situation where I might feel it's the only option.

No never use your children's gift card/vouchers

If it's between giving them the money or being able to feed them/roof over their head then I don't think it would be wrong to spend it on essentials. But otherwise the money should go to the DCs.

I've done it before and I did feel it was morally wrong and I felt pretty shit about it. But also I hadn't frittered money away that month you know. I hadn't been on nights out or bought clothes for myself. I'd just budgeted poorly and I felt it was a better option than not being able to pay a bill.

If it were the difference between a toy and food on the table, or credit on the gas meter, absolutely.

Problem is most people on here will never have been in a situation where they need to make they choice so will have little understanding of it.

If it was absolutely necessary, then yes I would.

It's not morally wrong to feed a child who would otherwise go hungry.

Obviously, I would try and reimburse the Christmas money when finances allowed.

If you had to, so they were fed and warm and you had no other money to do this then yes. Or if they were v young & you wanted to buy them a gift with the money instead as they would appreciate that more. But I can't think of any other good reasons to do it.

Desperate times, if it means they have food or electricity and you genuinely have no other option then no I don't think it's morally wrong.

@SoniaFouler

No, don’t do this. They are their vouchers, not yours. And yes, it is morally wrong, as if you even needed to ask.

Did you even read my post?!

I said Im not going to do it.

It's a hypothetical moral dilemma.

I'm wondering if someone was so skint they were struggling to pay for food or essentials, would it be wrong?

I would say it’s morally wrong if there is any other option; Eg: food banks, borrowing from somebody else, cutting back for the month, selling your own possessions. If somebody was really skint though to the point the family wasn’t going to eat and they had exhausted all other options then of course it would be understandable to use some of the children’s money as it would be worse to let a child go hungry than to spend their money on food. I would expect that any money used was borrowed, meaning that it would be paid back to the child once the parent was back on their feet.

Never had to but then I’ve never been on the bones of my arse so I wouldn’t judge someone if it was the difference between putting food on the table or keeping the heating on in winter.

If the money is needed to feed the children or keep a roof over their heads, then it’s fine to spend it, but keep a record and replace it when finances improve.

If it’s to buy luxuries or holidays then it’s morally wrong.

And so many MNers have previously posted about how their parents have ‘borrowed’ their savings as children, promised to return it and never did.

Of course not. If you are in that position then feeding the children/keeping them warm now is much better than getting £50 at 18. Thankfully I have never been in that position, I wouldn’t judge somebody that did it in these circumstances.

Yes it’s morally wrong and yes I would do it if it was the only way I was able to feed my children. I’m lucky that I’ve never been in that situation.

No it would not be morally wrong. It would be a shame to be in that situation, but if you were, the best thing you could do would be to prioritise basic needs.

If someone was so poor they were forced to spend their kids’ Christmas money on essentials? Of course it’s not morally wrong - would it be better for their kid to starve? What a way to give the poor a kicking on Christmas Eve ffs.

If I gave a child (let’s say a niece) money, and her parents needed it to feed her, I’d be ok with that.

If I was that child and found out later as an adult that my parents had used the money for food, I’d also be ok with that.

This is with the caveat that the parents are generally responsible with money, and it is truly needed for food eg it’s not being spent on food because all their money has been gambled away or something, I wouldn’t want my gift to be funding that (although I would of course still want to help feed the child). I mean people who are struggling and for whom the money might be the difference between the child eating or not.
So I would say yes, on the basis that if I was the child, or the gift giver, I would understand why it was done. I wouldn’t want the child to have a nice new toy with my money, but no dinner. I have parents who are good with money, if I found out tomorrow that once in an emergency they’d had to do this, I’d know it must have been truly essential and would be ok with it.

No I wouldn't but then we've never felt poor enough to consider it.
I do think that if it keeps them fed and warm with a roof over their head it is understandable to borrow when really struggling so long as you intend to repay it later on in their life.

It isn't morally wrong and the ones saying it is have never been skint, you clothe, fed and provide for your child everyday of their life, if Christmas comes and you can't afford the electric/food etc then you do what you have too. How can £100 spent on toys be helpful if you're freezing your tits off and can't cook food because the electric is off? Or your kids are going to bed hungry because all they've eaten is toast.

If I was short enough on money where the option was to have electricity cut off or not be able to feed the children then yes I would use it, because thats a pretty dire situation to be in and I would be desperate to be able to keep my children from being starving and cold. If money was just a bit tight but okay then no.

It depends. If it's the difference between going hungry or using the money/vouchers - of course use them.

If it's just because you fancy a new top and don't want to use your own money it's morally wrong.

To be honest, I would be wondering why people would be giving lots of cash/vouchers to the kids if they knew the family was struggling, they'd be better off giving a helping hand to the parents.

If you are on your uppers, then I think it's fine to use them for essentials. Surely the giver of the gift would want the child to be warm and fed rather than cold and hungry but with a new toy?

This is a stupid question.

Of course you would spend it if the alternative was not feeding your kids.