Ds1 18 soon finishes college. Has a summer job lined up which he has had the past 2 years. He has applied for loads of fulltime jobs but no luck so far. A lot of his mates are on jobseekers allowance and go out on that but he gets nothing as he is at fulltime college.
Ds 2 17 finishes his course very soon. He also has a summer job lined up from last year. He doesn't want to go back to college though because as soon he is 18 next March he wants to go offshore like his dad. Dh will be able to help him out there.
Once they are either working or unfortunately having to claim jobseekers allowance they know they will have to pay their keep and thats it, they will have to budget, no more money from me. In the meantime, I give them some money at the weekends to go out and they have to do chores at home. Ds2 does loads. Their friends don't work or go to college but seem to have loads of money. Once they are both 18 they won't get anything from me, less than a year away yippee. I just wondered how much you would give your teenageers in this situation? Its not the money so much as the principle of it, as me and dh both have well paid jobs. I think it is getting to me as they are so close in age so it is all or nothing.