Hi,
My DS father has been missing from our life for many years so I have always taken care of all her needs by myself. I re-married and have another child. Because of my DH our family income exceeds the minimum income to apply for a grant. Although DH does not fund my DS's living or educational costs.
So.... the boring bit over..... Do people usually pay for their children's accommodation/living expenses/train tickets (she'll be applying to Unis for 2012 entry away from London, where we live) or do most students pay for themselves?
Only tonight my daughter was telling me (when I expressed my worries at the extraordinary amount of money expected to fork out for expenses) that that's why most parents open an University fund for their children and they pay into it for years - Is this true? She made me feel awful, I told her that having paid for uniforms, holidays, tutors, summer camps, extra-curricular activities, birthday parties, mobile phones and everything else all these years ALL BY MYSELF I just hadn't been able to open a University fund and I don't believe that so many parents do so. She insisted that she knows looooads of people whose parents have this covered.
Now, as I'm working full time, I suppose I'll end up paying for all her expenses, at least for the first year. Is this wrong? Is this right? Yes, I'll be dried up like a raisin, but what else would I want to spend any money I earn on? Do we provide for our children until they are 17 and then send them on their way? Or do we still provide for them while they still need us, no matter how old they are?
can I have some thoughts on this please????
many thanks.