to make the kids pay towards stuff they want?

[Enchilada81]

Last weekend I told the kids I'd take them to McDonalds as a treat. They didn't show much enthusiasm which was unusual and DD and DS (13 and 11) told me "Happy Meals" are babyish and they're sick of having to have them. Apparantly "all their mates" get proper meals. I thought it over and came up with the idea that if they want anything else, they have to put something towards it themselves. So for instance I'll give them the £2 which a happy meal would have cost and if they want a Big Mac meal they can put the rest towards it themselves. Is this mean?

Another thing is the trampoline cover is knackered and its too dangerous for them to play on. Therefore, before the weather gets much nicer, we're planning on getting them a new one.

The prices we've seen are around £25.

Is it unreasonable to ask the kids to put £5 each of their pocket money towards getting a new one?

Dunno - it could be a good way of discouraging them from going to Maccy D's!

I am going to bring the wrath of mumsnet down upon me by confessing this, but in the past when things were bad, I've given my daugher the choice between packed lunch or pay for school dinner with her pocket money. It wasn't a permanent arrangement, but the simple fact is, packed lunch with Aldi's fruit-of-the-week, home made bread (or close to sell-by date bread) and a healthy filling comes to a lot less than the £2 she reckons she needs for school dinner.

ifancyashandy, they are not children in the sense that they have adult calorie requirements.

Coldtits (and me too today!), agree on the 'calories needed point' but thought the 'don't want to be treated as such' comment refered to attitude, not food (I'm a poet and did not ...oh, whatever!)

"Pitchoutte - how, at 11 and 13 years are OP's kids not children anymore"

They are not children when it comes to food!. My DCs are 12 and 14
DD 12 is taller than me and DS 14 is taller than most fully grown men and they are still growing!
They are bottom less pits when it comes to food.
DS seems to be permanantly standing in front of the fridge hoping for the food to jump into is mouth.

Points above

But they aren't children when it comes to entertainment either! You can't expect a 13 year old youth to become wriggly with joy at the prospect of a MacDo's toy!