Pocket money - what age did you/will you start giving your dc's pocket money ...

[plonker]

...and how much do you/will you give them?

Also, do you expect them to do chores around the house to 'earn' their money, or is it given to them regardless, for them to spend how they like?

My dd's are 9 and 6 (and a nearly two yo but she hasn't asked yet )

Not sure what to give, when to give, or how much to give.

Just wondering what everyone else does? ...

My 8yo gets £2 a week, and has done since she was 7. She doesn't have to earn it with chores, but on rare occasions it is pulled, with warning for v bad behaviour

She wouldn't spend it all on sweets as she's not mad about them, so we've never really had to have any rules about what she buys. Mainly she gets her beano, but sometimes she saves it for AGES and then buys something big. Have been pretty impressed with this.

dd and ds1 are 4.5 and 3 this month and they get 2 euros apiece in their piggy/froggy banks. every now and again they ge to go mad with their riches in the toy shop.

i don't have it dependant on anything tbh.

My DD has been getting 50p a week since she was 4yo. BUT we did stop buying her weekly sweet treat on a Sunday and she now buys it out of her pocket money instead. She mostly saves the money though and enjoys counting the coins in her piggy bank - but still thinks that more coins = more money (so prefers 10p coins to £1 coins cos you get more of them.

For my dcs pocket money started with the start of Yr 1. 50 p aweek the first week, then going up by 5 or 10 p a year according to a fixed scale. Not linked to any chores (would be difficult since eldest child has health problems and not always able to do chores).

Changes to monthly allowance in Yr 7- £10 a month, but then expected to buy toiletries except basic soap and shampoo.

Message withdrawn

I am going to start when DD starts yr 1 in September (she will be 5.5). She will start with £1 a week from us and my parents are giving her £1 a week too. She will buy anything she wants out of that (sweets, magazines, toys etc). For a big toy, she will be learning to save up for it.

When she gets to about 7, I will probably up the pocket money but she will have to do something for it. Maybe set the table and clear away after dinner every night or something along them lines.

Bloss that sounds like a great idea. I might steal it! (sorry to hijack thread!)

DS started getting pocket money when he turned 6. He gets £1 per week, but has to do all his work and chores to earn this.

Then, if he wants something he has to save up to buy it, and I also make him use his pocket money if he wants an ice-cream at the park.

It works out well and saves any fussing over asking for things and getting a "no" from me.

From age 5. Mine (5 and nearly 7) get £3 week (cue censorious disapproval from Mn, lol) - they don't fritter it away on trivia but tend to save it up for larger purchases, and they are also expected to pay their way at summer fayres etc rather than fleecing me for 50p here and there for the tombola. They also pay for birthday and Christmas gifts for family members.

No structured linkage between jobs and pocket money - but threatened deductions from pocket money are frequently used as a lever, e.g. "if you don't tidy your room within the next hour your pocket money will be halved" etc

5yr old gets £1 a week - only rule is he can't spend it on anything edible. That's my job

At 8 they got £5 a month,if their rooms are tidyish all the time!
At 10 they got £10 a month with plenty of jobs expected of them, plus a tidyish bedroom!

Ok, Ok, you've all convinced me ...I'm a scrooge ...

Pocket money it is then, lol. Oh, and great idea bloss, it's a bit above what I was planning on giving them, but I may adapt it

Thanks all

DS1 was six. He doesn't have to 'earn' it and he doesn't 'lose' it if he is badly behaved. he gets £1.

However, he is expected to do small jobs around the house. Not for money because he is a member of the family/household.

I must be mean mummy. I too adapt Bloss's approach, but without giving anywhere near as much money..

bloss... it's such a relief being able to answer 'mummy i want that [stupid noisy piece of plastic]' with 'well you'd better save your pocket money then hadn't you?' isn't it?

My dd earns every penny, but I pay fairly well! First we have to make it to school/other thing on time every day - she gets 20p for this, but she can't earn anything else if she doesn't, so potential loss is high. After that, she gets 20p-£1 for spelling test result depending how many she got right, how well she wrote them and whether she did any work, 20p if she gets a praise sticker from anybody, 20p for anything she does to help me round the house... it can add up to a lot if she could be bothered, but averages about 40p. Trouble is, grandma sometimes sends her money out of the blue, dh buys her a treat and I don't think she really gets that money doesn't just magic itself. Sometimes I give up and treat her to something, since I'm hopeless ! Mostly, I tell her I'll lend her the money and make a thing of paying myself back from her moneybox. I probably ought to get her to do it, but she never seems to be there when I remember.