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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

bed and board!

33 replies

Auntymandy · 20/01/2006 12:47

A couple of friends with children starting work asked how much is the going rate for board..what do uou think?
I said 10% seems fair

OP posts:

starlover · 20/01/2006 13:02

10% is bargainest. my friends mum used to take a third!!!

alibubbles · 20/01/2006 17:29

Message withdrawn

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 20/01/2006 17:31

iused bring home £500 a month at 16 and i had to pay my mum £80 a month

soapbox · 20/01/2006 17:34

I can't imagine charging a child of mine to stay in their home - seems really odd to me!

I'd rather they had hte money so that they can enjoy themselves while they were young.

At a push I might just insist that they save a small amount a week for when they get a place of their own!

cod · 20/01/2006 17:35

Message withdrawn

soapbox · 20/01/2006 17:36

First time anyone has called me soft in a long time

sobernow · 20/01/2006 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QE2 · 20/01/2006 17:49

I brought home in the region of £250 a month when I first started working at 17. I remember giving my Dad £15 a week board.

But he did pay for driving lessons and bought my first car so I think I got a pretty fair deal all in all.

colditz · 20/01/2006 17:49

I got charged £30 a week, regardless of how much or how little I earned, but I wouldn't recommend that because it made me very resentful while I was trying to put myself through college that my entire Saturday at a factory was used to pay my dad, and I had to work Sundays to have any money for me!

colditz · 20/01/2006 17:50

Didn't manage to put myself through college by the way..... as I had to pay the board and it got so as I couldn't be bothered to go to college and work, and the board had to be paid.

Aero · 20/01/2006 17:55

I gave my parents £10 a week when I had my first job and I only earned £50pw then! I wanted to though as my friends were doing the same. Wasn't for long though as I got a college place andthey supported me fully then and I left home pretty much as soon as it finished. My parents also payed for all my driving lessons though which was pretty expensive as I had loads and only passed second time, so fair enough to give something back.

Potty1 · 20/01/2006 17:55

Soapbox do you want mine? - it's OK until you look at the state of your finances once they turn 18. I'll be losing almost £18 a week in child benefit plus lord knows how much CTC and he'll still be eating me out of house and home!

10% sounds fair enough to me.

iota · 20/01/2006 17:55

I gave my mum £25 per week when I started work over 20 yrs ago

but she was widowed and on a small income and it seemed only fair to make a realistic contribution to the household bills

QE2 · 20/01/2006 17:57

Do you think our parents actually put the money towards household bills or spent it frivilously?

I can imagine when the time comes to charge my own offspring I will most likely put it away in a savings account and give it all back to them when they leave home!!

colditz · 20/01/2006 18:12

I know my dad spent the money i gave him on frivolous things.

Meanoldmummy · 20/01/2006 18:30

I couldn't charge mine board. I would be worried that it might change the dynamic in the house and make them feel less welcome/loved. But then I AM a total softie. I would hope that by then I would have cultivated the kind of relationship where they would help out because they wanted to, and contribute what they felt was fair because their consciences/love for their family told them to. Whilch makes me a stupid, unrealistic softie!!!

suedonim · 20/01/2006 19:17

Ds paid me some B&B money when he was working, I forget how much. I saved it in an account and gave it back to him as a lump sum when he left home.

alibubbles · 20/01/2006 21:00

Message withdrawn

trace2 · 20/01/2006 21:04

dd is 21ys she earns £12500, per year and gives me £60 per month

Carmenere · 20/01/2006 21:07

My dss 17 earns about £200 per month but we don't ask him for cash but we do expect him to pay for all his entertainment expenses and his school lunches. Dp pays for his clothes and everything else.

soapbox · 20/01/2006 21:24

OMG! You expect a child to earn money to pay for their school lunches - that really is truely shocking!!!!

colditz · 20/01/2006 21:25

I don't think it is, Soapbox, he is 17 and old enough to make a packup and save the money if he wants. An important lesson in priorities IMO!

colditz · 20/01/2006 21:26

!hat is £50 per week for entertainment and lunch! That's a lot of money!

soapbox · 20/01/2006 21:29

I'm sorry but I really disagree - I think it is our role as parents to provide for our children - at the very least until they leave school.

If they are able to earn a decent amount of money, by all means make them save some of it. I think it is beyond the pale to expect them to pay for their own living costs when they are still a child!

Potty1 · 20/01/2006 21:46

Soapy - how do you 'make them save some of it'?

Advise, yes, but make them?

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