What age do you stop organising Birthday/father’s days gifts and leave it entirely up to the child?

[makavelicoffee]

So far I/we have always taken DS out and had him choose a gift and card and paid for it, when do you stop doing this and just tell the child to organise it themselves and pay using their own pocket money?

Do you live somewhere that child can go to the shops on their own?

How old are they?

They are 12, so yes they can go to our local Westfield alone.

I've never done this but surely at 12 they can go alone now? They must travel to and from school alone so can pop to a shop?

A gentle reminder and give them a tenner, my dc were young adults before they bought themselves.

Thanks, yes they absolutely could, they are fairly independent and use the bus and travel to school and walk to friends.

it was more a question of is it right, at 12 don’t they still need a bit more of a ‘what would you like to get mum for her birthday, shall we head out this afternoon, and don’t forget get a card’

Yes i think asking what do think they would like <this> up to maybe 15 save them buying rubbish.

My elder dc do this theirselves and have done since starting secondary school