Our 12 year old gets $6.00 a week. When I was pondering this same issue some time ago, I read somewhere about giving an allowance, and that one-half of the child's age was appropriate. So on his birthday each year he gets an increase. Obviously, this won't work for a car driving 16 year old, but when they are younger it seems appropriate.
Children's Weekly Allowances
- Thread starter Lolas Angel
- Start date
my sister is 12.. and i used to give her ( when i was living at home about 110$ a month) that was her money to do what she wanted with.. ( not lunch or naything)
my dad now gives her about 10bd a week which equals 100$ a mnth thats her going out money... lunch is already paid for with tickets from school..
my dad now gives her about 10bd a week which equals 100$ a mnth thats her going out money... lunch is already paid for with tickets from school..
I don't have kids yet and i didn't get allowance when i was little. My brother, who is 18 and in college now gets allowance from my parents and me and my sister. 
He gets about $200 per month from all of us. My mom insists on giving him allowance like that so he doesn't run out there to find a part time job. She wants him to focus on school.
I personally thing $200 for a college kid who doesn't have to pay for anything is a bit much.
He gets about $200 per month from all of us. My mom insists on giving him allowance like that so he doesn't run out there to find a part time job. She wants him to focus on school.
I personally thing $200 for a college kid who doesn't have to pay for anything is a bit much.
When I was eight, my brother was six (I think). My parents gave us $5 a week for allowance. Then, on report cards, we got $5 for every A and $5 for every improvement.
As we got older, our allowance was raised to $10, and then when we were in high school, we got $20 a week. (The whole time, the report card thing still applied.)
In college, my parents didn't want me working (they wanted me to focus on school) so they sent me $50 each week.
They'll help me out when I'm not working, but for the most part, I've relied on my paychecks.
As we got older, our allowance was raised to $10, and then when we were in high school, we got $20 a week. (The whole time, the report card thing still applied.)
In college, my parents didn't want me working (they wanted me to focus on school) so they sent me $50 each week.
They'll help me out when I'm not working, but for the most part, I've relied on my paychecks.
It's been a long time now but I gave my two children $5.00 a week. That was in the 80's. If they wanted more, they had to work for it...
My daughter has two boys, 6 and 3.
For the six year old, he gets "points" for reading books, etc, and when the points add up to 10, he gets a new Bionicle. (Lego type toys he collects)
I think that is a great idea!
At his school, books are given a point system. For example, he is reading at a 1.5 to 2.0 level. He brings home books that are anywhere from 0.5 to 3.0. Obviously, the harder the book, the more points he scores!
She is trying to think up something learning/teaching for the 3 year old to get points.
I don't remember books having levels when my children were in school.
So much has changed!
My daughter has two boys, 6 and 3.
For the six year old, he gets "points" for reading books, etc, and when the points add up to 10, he gets a new Bionicle. (Lego type toys he collects)
I think that is a great idea!
At his school, books are given a point system. For example, he is reading at a 1.5 to 2.0 level. He brings home books that are anywhere from 0.5 to 3.0. Obviously, the harder the book, the more points he scores!
She is trying to think up something learning/teaching for the 3 year old to get points.
I don't remember books having levels when my children were in school.
So much has changed!
i am 24 and STILL on an allowance! lol..well kind of...my bf splits my paychecks up by the day so i don't blow it all and am left broke for the entire month. he's had me on this program for over a year and i've been able to pay off my undergrad debts that way. he is always the financial saavy one!
^ thats so nice of him. Its great having someone that knows how to save 
I dont have any kids but wanted to share about my 8 year old cousin. She doesnt get any allowance but she goes give massages for 25 cents. I think it was so cute because she wanted to save up to buy a gameboy game. Her parents always buy everything she wants but thought this was a good way to learn how to earn money.
I dont have any kids but wanted to share about my 8 year old cousin. She doesnt get any allowance but she goes give massages for 25 cents. I think it was so cute because she wanted to save up to buy a gameboy game. Her parents always buy everything she wants but thought this was a good way to learn how to earn money.
Hi Lolas Angel. Its tough isnt it! I am just like you, always wondering how much to give my two girls aged 11 and 7. We also live in Surrey, and I give my 11 year old 10 pounds per week, and our 7 year old 5 pounds. For this, they must complete all homework before they get it on a Saturday, and their weekly magazines come out of this money (the magazines often cost 3.00 which takes up a large chunk).
We pay for sweeties as treats, and they enjoy thinking about what they are going to spend it on. Like you, I try and get them to do chores too. My elder daughter now has a vending machine at school for drinks and things, so her new job is to unload the dishwasher in the morning and feed the cats their dried food which she does without fail. I would have thought that your oldest boy had maybe cause for some increase, but I am guessing that if he goes swimming, cinema, bowling etc that you give him money for this on top of his pocket money?
A typical example is the really expensive sweets at the cinema, they ask 3 pounds for a bag of Maltesers, so that would be his allowance gone in one go!. I get my two girls to know the value by going to the supermarket and getting them to pick up the sweets there beforehand, where they cost under a pound for the same thing
Sorry for the delay, thank you for your thoughts. Re, going to the cinema etc, we give our eldest son the money for that, and also he gets lunch money for school and so does our younger son for that matter too. He gets to make up quite a bit of money when he does some work for me or my friends, and I do quite like the idea of him 'earning' money as he is quite driven !!!!!!! A bit like his mum
I do think that that's quite a good idea about giving one half of the child's age as the allowance.
My parents never gave us allowance... some spending money once in awhile, yes... but I guess that doesn't really count since it was only a few times per year.
Both parents worked, and we were by all means not wealthy, but we got by. I started working when I was 16, and spent my own money on whatever I wanted. Luckily, I didn't have a handbag obsession, otherwise I'd be broke! I did manage to save around $7000 and put that toward my college tuition.
I don't know what most parents give their children these days, though... My nephew is 7 years old, but his parents don't give him money. He is spoiled, though, and everything he wants is basically handed to him whenever he wants it.
Both parents worked, and we were by all means not wealthy, but we got by. I started working when I was 16, and spent my own money on whatever I wanted. Luckily, I didn't have a handbag obsession, otherwise I'd be broke! I did manage to save around $7000 and put that toward my college tuition.
I don't know what most parents give their children these days, though... My nephew is 7 years old, but his parents don't give him money. He is spoiled, though, and everything he wants is basically handed to him whenever he wants it.
Our kids get an allowance but they don't get it physically. They tally it weekly so they know what they have, sort of like balancing bank account. They are saving a big portion of it for Disneyland this fall and have been using some of it for any toy purchases they want to make. We pay for their lunches, movies, clothes, and snacks. DH also puts his loose change into a cointainer and the kids can use this money for candy and bottled water or drinks when they are too lazy to bring their thermos to sports practice. It works well and they kids have gotten really good at counting coins.
Before I started working my brother and I both got £3 a week pocket money, but as soon as I got a job he's been given £5 a week! (It probably comes out of the rent that I pay too). I have friends that got like £30 a week, but I was ok with what I got. My Mum would buy my clothes on top of my pocket money and paid for a few cinema trips etc.
Most of my friends used to get allowances when we were back in High School. I never understood WHY?
Why doesn't mother get allowance for cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. and who pays the father for doing yard work, being a handy man, etc. Then WHY should a kid be paid for emptying a dish washer?! Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it.
Why doesn't mother get allowance for cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. and who pays the father for doing yard work, being a handy man, etc. Then WHY should a kid be paid for emptying a dish washer?! Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it.
Up until I turned 16, my parents gave me money for lunch and always gave me additional money when I told them what it was for and they believed it to be reasonable (movies w/friends etc.) and my mum always bought my clothes with me. When I turned 16 I got $400 a month. After I finished school I moved out and worked for one year as a Coca Cola promo girl and my parents helped me out whenever I needed anything-which was not often the case.
After one year of doing that I decided to go to uni and my parents gave me a very generous monthly allowance so I can live comfortably and don't have to worry about running out of money when it comes to buying books or exam time. They always say that they want their children (I have an older brother) to have the best possible start in life they can provide them, which I find extremely kind.
They are also currently supporting me through my Masters and I often send them postcards, little gifts and thank you" notes because I find that they are so exceptionally supportive and kind and I feel so fortunate. However, I am also looking forward to being done soon so they can spend all that money on themselves again. My brother and I always say that we are going to buy them a nice apartment one day to express our gratitude.
I hope to be an as good mother/parent one day as my parents have been to me as my brother and I both were able to get very good education and degrees abroad with their support, yet have both turned out extremely thankful and quite humble.
So I don't know if there is a right or wrong amount of money to give to your kids- it is about what you personally feel will make your children responsible, good adults one day.
After one year of doing that I decided to go to uni and my parents gave me a very generous monthly allowance so I can live comfortably and don't have to worry about running out of money when it comes to buying books or exam time. They always say that they want their children (I have an older brother) to have the best possible start in life they can provide them, which I find extremely kind.
They are also currently supporting me through my Masters and I often send them postcards, little gifts and thank you" notes because I find that they are so exceptionally supportive and kind and I feel so fortunate. However, I am also looking forward to being done soon so they can spend all that money on themselves again. My brother and I always say that we are going to buy them a nice apartment one day to express our gratitude.
I hope to be an as good mother/parent one day as my parents have been to me as my brother and I both were able to get very good education and degrees abroad with their support, yet have both turned out extremely thankful and quite humble.
So I don't know if there is a right or wrong amount of money to give to your kids- it is about what you personally feel will make your children responsible, good adults one day.