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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I am refusing to take away my children's holiday money because my sistsrs kids are jealous. AIBU?

1000 replies

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 10:44

We are on a family holiday right now. Me, my husband, my daughter (8 years old), my son (4 years old). My parents. My sister, her husband, and their 5 children.

My mum, bless her, really wanted to give everybody a bit of money to spend on holiday. She was able to spare £200 pounds which is absolutely lovely of her. My mum decided to split the money in half, she gave me £100 and my sister £100. I told my mum that I don't need the money because me and my husband already have enough holiday spending money. But ahe insisted, so I decided to give the money to my kids. £50 for my daughter, £50 for my son. That's their money to spend how they want.

My sister did the same thing as me and she gave all the money to her children, but because she has 5 children they get £20 each. We've been here for a few days and the kids have started asking each other about money, my daughter was asked how much money she has, she said she has £45 (She already spent £5). That has caused my sisters kids to start complaining to their mum and dad about the fact they only got £20 whilst my son and my daughter got £50.

My sister has since spoken to me and asked if I can take some of my children's money away because my sister can't afford to give each of her kids £30 because my sister and her husband already have a set budget for this holiday. I said that I'm sorry her kids feel jealous, however I am not going to take away my kids money because that isn't fair to my kids. I split the money fairly, my children shouldn't have to have their money taken away just because their cousins are jealous. I said I will make sure my kids aren't intentionally trying to make their cousins upset, but I will not take away some of their money. My mum also does not have more money to spare because she also has a holiday budget.

Right now we are sitting by the pool and my sister has decided to sit far away from the rest of us. Clearly trying to indicate she is upset.

AIBU?

OP posts:
RamALamADingDong2 · 24/07/2026 11:32

SerafinasGoose · 24/07/2026 10:51

Someone needs to teach your sister's family a basic rudiment of social interaction: talking about money is vulgar.

This is how so much financial disparity starts - sometimes, talking about money is essential; let's not demonise it. I do agree it's a topic to be careful and tasteful with, but let's not teach kids that money is a dirty word. It could actually be a great opportunity to teach them about budgeting, sharing, saving etc.

Ellie1015 · 24/07/2026 11:32

On a group holiday i would never have given my children their own money unless my neices and nephews had the same. I would have earmarked that money in my head for the kids to spend on pool toys/sweets etc but not told them it was their personal money unless I knew neices and nephews had the same, particularly as 5 other children so would be a big expense for sister.

I am not sure how to fix it now. Even if you gave sisters children the additional (and not saying that you should at all) it rewards the kids for comparing/complaining about getting £20.

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:33

LeaderBee · 24/07/2026 11:30

I haven't even gotten past the poll before typing this but who the hell are the 31% of people thinking YABU? 😂

People who think a 4 year old shouldn't have £50 spending money. But are people forgetting how expensive ice cream is. Yes I buy ice cream for my family, but sometimes my kids want more ice cream. To be fair, my son has spent more money than his sister. My daughter has only spent £15 now. But when this conversation happened, my daughter had only spent £5

OP posts:
Livelovelaughfuckoff · 24/07/2026 11:33

thatgreenjuniper · 24/07/2026 11:29

Of course you are with the sister, your family get more 😂

Aren't you embarrassed at all? I would be mortified to get more money than my siblings like that.

I think this scenario is different because the children are being treated as individuals and it’s not money for a family unit and it sounds perfectly fair.

would you suggest the family of three children have less spent on them individually for birthdays and Christmas too?

Freddiefisher · 24/07/2026 11:33

thatgreenjuniper · 24/07/2026 11:27

care to explain HOW the mum was disrespected when the OP is saving the money for her kids to treat themselves?

It's the SISTER who is upsetting the OP
How is the sister going to put this right?

Good lord woman ...
The mum gave her daughter £100 ...for the daughter to do something nice with the family on holiday.
The daughter didn't want the money..so just gave it her children
Therefore disrespecting her mother.
The op knew her sister couldn't do the same for her Children..but still chose to give her own a rediculous amount of money , causing upset .. because this is a family on holiday together..and children like to be the same ,to have the same ,and one set of cousins now have much more money then the other ,on the same holiday..
Is that clear enough for you

Junmaro · 24/07/2026 11:33

Gladioli7 · 24/07/2026 11:03

I am significantly wealthier than my lovely sister and wouldn’t have needed it to fund generally holiday spending either.

But because I’m not a dick, and don’t think it’s my job to teach my young niece and nephew about the inherent unfairness of the world they’ve been born into while they are enjoying a holiday, I would have ensured all of the kids had equal spending money.

You may be “technically” in the right but your approach here speaks volumes about who you are.

What she said

AndImVictoriaMalcolm · 24/07/2026 11:33

I’m not surprised the others kids backs are up. tbh I think all the adults here have messed up. Your sister is being childish and shouldn’t be asking you to take money away from your kids. You could have said to her “no, but I will have words with my 2 to not discuss money again” (which is a good lesson to teach). Instead you said “it’s not my fault your kids are jealous of my kids”. You didn’t need to say that, it sounds bitchy.

LeaderBee · 24/07/2026 11:34

TheOccupier · 24/07/2026 11:30

£50 each for an 8yo and a 4yo (who probably can't even count to 50) is madness. Extraordinary that you and your sister are close enough to holiday together and have ended up in this situation. Why didn't you discuss this?

  • you could have pooled the money, added a fiver each and given each child £30
  • you could have given each child £20 and kept £30 each for yourselves, maybe gone off for an evening on your own
  • you could have kept £100 each for yourselves and the kids would have been none the wiser

Your behaviour is inconsiderate, unkind and unsisterly. I suspect there is a backstory of you being the posher/richer one and rubbing it in your sister's face. Yes she chose to have 5 kids, but having chosen to holiday as a family group, you should try to make sure that the DCs all feel they are being treated fairly and equally as a group of 7.

Wow, that's a bit of a jump, I hate it when mumsnetters project.

mumuseli · 24/07/2026 11:34

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 10:49

Probably. But my mum didn't intend for the money to be holiday money for the kids. She just wanted to give each family unit £100. I chose to give the money to my children. My sister did the same thing

Gosh, £50 is a lot to give to a 4 year old (and to an 8 year old)! I think most people would have seen the £100 for a family unit as money to use for a nice meal out, icecreams etc, rather than just as spending money for the kids. It's good for kids to start learning the value of money, but £50 could feel quite overwhelming and therefore be almost like the opposite of learning the value. Surely kids just want to buy a few sweets and maybe a cheap souvenir.
Your sister is being a bit rude though.

Shuffletoesxtreme · 24/07/2026 11:34

i’d have pooled it with my sister and split it equally with the kids. A four year old doesn’t need 50 quid

Drivingmissrangey · 24/07/2026 11:34

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 10:52

The money was never intended for the grandkids specifically. My mum gave me and my sister £100 just as overall spending money. For ice cream, snacks, etc.

Then stick it all in a kitty for treats across everyone.

titchy · 24/07/2026 11:34

I can’t get over your mum giving two grown adults, with presumably their own incomes, spending money while not giving her grandchildren any treat money! Or a grown adult sulking. Or a grown adult thinking giving a 4 year old £50 knowing the other family children they were on holiday with had nothing.

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:34

LeaveMeBee · 24/07/2026 11:31

I think there's nothing wrong in what you've done.. HOWEVER if you've given it to your kids with a "this is from Granny" then I could see how it could cause issues, because your sisters five would then be thinking why didnt we get any (believing their money was from their own parents only) OR why did Granny only give us £20?

So it depends how it was gifted to them from each set of parents, thats maybe caused the issue? If they're aware it was from Granny.

I mean personally I'd have given my kids £20 each and used the remainder towards a day trip or something and thanked my Mum personally, but not told the kids it was from Granny to save issues with their cousins.

No I didn't specify to my kids that the money is from my mum.

OP posts:
smallgreenandsplitthreeways · 24/07/2026 11:34

HeddaGarbled · 24/07/2026 11:17

I think £50 is too much unsupervised spending money, especially for the 4 year old.

It’s irrelevant, and it’s not unsupervised. I’m sure if the 4yr old wanted to buy £50 worth of sweets her mum would say no, but if her 4 yr old wants a dayglo pool inflatable, some googles, a funky towel, and a souvenir t.shirt OP would be fine with it.
Why would OP discuss what she chooses to do with her sister?
why is it unfair that both daughters were given £100?

estrogone · 24/07/2026 11:34

There was a very similar thread about AI haves and have not cousins recently.

dontmalbeconme · 24/07/2026 11:35

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:21

I had no clue if she was giving her kids money or not. I also did not know how much money she was going to give her children

But you ask, before giving your young childten excessive amounts of spends.

You must have known that your sister wouldn't be able to give her 5 kids £50 each. So you don't then give that amount to your kids, and worse still allow them to brag about it and rub their cousins noses in the fact they have more.

Dunnocantthinkofone · 24/07/2026 11:35

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:31

Cause my kids have already spent some of their money. So it would be unfair for them to have money taken away now

You said that £5 had been spent. You are sounding like you are clutching at reasons to hold your ground tbh
why is it so important to win the argument? Presumably their is some massive drip feed coming about your sister that has meant digging your heels is this important?

Appleblum · 24/07/2026 11:35

Why don't you give each of your children £20 to use during the holiday and tell them they can spend the remaining £30 back home? I don't think you're being unreasonable but I'd do this to spare their cousin's feelings.

BMW58 · 24/07/2026 11:35

So if you hadn't given your DC the money but your sister still had, and your DC complained that it wasn't fair, would you ask sister to take the money back off her kids and she would so as you asked??

Would she fuck !

YANBU life can be unequal and her kids will need to learn that.

pasturesgreen · 24/07/2026 11:35

I realise that's not the point, but £50 spending money for a 4 year old? Crikey!

LeaderBee · 24/07/2026 11:36

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:33

People who think a 4 year old shouldn't have £50 spending money. But are people forgetting how expensive ice cream is. Yes I buy ice cream for my family, but sometimes my kids want more ice cream. To be fair, my son has spent more money than his sister. My daughter has only spent £15 now. But when this conversation happened, my daughter had only spent £5

£50 for a 4 year old does seem a lot to be fair, but the point is not how much money he has but that your sister is expecting you to take it off him, that's just ridiculous.

topcat2014 · 24/07/2026 11:36

Grandmother stuffed up there. She should have given each child equal pocket money.

Drivingmissrangey · 24/07/2026 11:36

Also, I’m pretty loaded and I couldn’t imagine giving even my 6 year old free rein to spend £50 on holiday. Why on earth wouldn’t you give them £20 for the holiday spends and keep the rest for another time.

Livelovelaughfuckoff · 24/07/2026 11:36

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:34

No I didn't specify to my kids that the money is from my mum.

Really? So your mum doesn’t get any credit or appreciation and thanks from your kids for the very generous amount of spending money they now have? Jeez rude much?!

Freddiefisher · 24/07/2026 11:37

dramaticlifestyle · 24/07/2026 11:33

People who think a 4 year old shouldn't have £50 spending money. But are people forgetting how expensive ice cream is. Yes I buy ice cream for my family, but sometimes my kids want more ice cream. To be fair, my son has spent more money than his sister. My daughter has only spent £15 now. But when this conversation happened, my daughter had only spent £5

I think ...I think... honey
That's called parenting
Paying for your child's ice cream ..and then saying no when they demand another
No child needs £50 for extra ice-cream
But you know that
And your mum knows that ..and if she's telling you she's fine with what you did with the money
SHES JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE PEACE
I can assure you ,your mum won't make this mistake again..you know ..to assume her daughter is good with money

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