[RN-RNMember]

OK parents (and teens) out there.

My son is 14, will be 15 later this year. He’s a good kid, gets good grades, does lots of chores around the house, sometimes makes dinner for the family. He mows in the summer and shovels in the winter, etc, etc.

He does seem to think he’s underpaid as far as his allowance goes. We pay for all his clothes, groceries, his cell phone bill and so forth. We’re only talking spending money, going out with his buddies, etc.

I’d prefer he didn’t work during the school year, and that’s my choice, so I figure I should be fair.

What do you folks figure a reasonable weekly allowance is?

[LAwMember]

wow.. sounds like the LOA portion is taken care of already.. were you interested in the industrial rate or the city rate for allowances?…
otherwise base it on half of what MacD’s pays.. they give the kids 50% off on food if they are employees and my son used to say almost all the kids spent half thier wages on food..

[funnewfieMember]

I do the same REALLY, however if he didn’t do no chores at all I adjust his allowance

[cavalierkingcharlesMember]

I understand you don’t want him to work during the school year, but I work all year and my grades haven’t suffered in the least, and I’m a 90′s student in my senior year now. All he needs is to work weekends, and if his grades start to drop, talk to a manager/ supervisor and tell them to lessen his shifts. Plus it gives him job experience and he’ll get used to going to school and working for when/ if he decides to further his education.

[artloverMember]

This is an excellent time to teach your child how to budget. I would sit down and list all the things your child needs to pay for in a week.

food, entertainment, school supplies (extras you forgot), misc, savings

This is what my parents did with me and I’ve always been good with my money as a result. I worked during high school as well but not many hours. Maybe 15 a week only.

When I was 15 I got $50 a month, and worked part time as long as I maintained an above 80% average.

[wakeboard_girlMember]

I took the advice of that financial lady on Slice(TV).
My kids get $1x their age/week.
So my 13 yr old gets $52/month($13/week)
My 16 yr old gets $64/month($16/week)
We don’t force them to do chores for money. Chores are just a part of their household contribution(when we can get them to actually do anything!)
I’ve found this system to work pretty well, they learn how to manage their money to make it last and plan things ahead instead of making spur of the moment decisions.
Of course any major purchases are still covered by us, but things like movies or swimming or snacks is covered by them.

[TarsandBabeMember]

Thats a really great idea wakeboard_girl!! I’m definatly going to remember that one for when my kids get older…

[poetic1canadianMember]

Both my boys ( aged 14 and 16 ), get $25. every two weeks. If they do stuff around the house that is extra money in it for them. I do pack them a lunch for school, but if they spend it on food, which the youngest does, then that’s it till my payday. I would love for them both to get a part time job, but they just don’t seem to want to earn more than $50./month.

[roseygMember]

My daughter doesn’t do chores…so she doesn’t get an allowance! It’s that easy!! When we go to the store and she wants a treat, I ask “Do you have the money for it?” If the answer is “No” then she doesn’t get it! Nasty, I know, but when she babysits or picks up extra jobs… she sure watches what she spends! Lol.
When she does pitch in around the house I do purchase special treats for her. Or pay for movies or the pool.

[TrueblueMember]

One of the most important things you can teach your children is responsibility and how to budget money. You are truly doing your job and them a favor by doing these things. If a child is spoiled, just handed money left over right they never learn to respect money and when they get out in the big bad world they dont know how to cope. Unless mommy and daddy are going to keep handing them money forever, then they will struggle, have no doubt. Having your kids do chores is not a punishment, it is a contribution to the family home and shows them that they have responsibility besides school. It is so easy to let them procrastinate, give them money and let them more or less do what they want, but you are not doing your job as mother/father in preparing your kids for their future. Love doesnt mean giving, giving and giving it means sharing, teaching and letting them learn how to be a responsible adult.

[danahallMember]

What is resonable for kids that are 6 and 8? My 8 year old does many chores and keeps her own stuff clean. My 6 year old dosent do any chores and wont clean her room at all? I give my six year old 6 dollars a week and my 8 year old varies depending on what she helped me out with anything between 10-25 dollars a week that is put into an online savings account that she can watch.

[ViktimizeMember]

Allowance?? Can’t say I ever got that. If I wanted money I had to go shovel a driveway for it. Had a paper route all through grade school, and did every odd job to help a neighbor around the street when I could to make a few extra bucks. Pretty glad my parents never gave me anything I didn’t earn, it’s one of the reasons I have such a good work ethic nowadays.

Sounds like your kid has a good work ethic already, if you’re not going to nurture that and allow him to work, I guess you should be paying what he would make at a real job and just having him do any odd jobs/chores around the house.

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