To think that paying rent when a person gets a job at age 16 is a good idea!

[BritFish]

backstory: My DC's both paid rent once they got jobs at age 16, working in cafe and in supermarket [like his mum, how embarassing ]

They paid £30 a month, and then both went off to uni, but if they had stayed at home and got full time jobs that rent would have been increased a lot, obviously.

Someone at work was talking about this the other day, and a few people were expressing anger at their child paying to 'stay in their own home'

I see getting a job when you leave school as pretty much a given, as giving pocket money when they're old enough to earn their own is a bit ridiculous to be honest
and we all have to pay bills later in life, so starting them off gently now isnt such a bad thing is it!
am i being totally unreasonable in thinking getting a job and paying a bit of rent at 16 is normal!

I personally would never ask my DC for rent (they are currently small so not relevant for ages), they can live in our home for as long as they want. However, one of the conditions of staying here once they have a full time job is that they save most of their money for a deposit. I would not let them stay here if either they were bumming around with no intention of getting a job OR working and blowing money on car/holidays/clothes.

My mum charged me board but saved it without telling me. She gave it back to me in a lump sum when I bought my own house.

I always had jobs to do in the house too. When I was younger, I did them for pocket money, when I was working, I did them for 'free'.