Search Results for: blog should teenagers get an allowance

The Allowance Quandary

Should you give your children an allowance? I do. For small children who can’t make a lot of money, an allowance gives them a sense of autonomy and choice. I use the allowance to divert my daughter’s “I wants”. Instead of buying items for her, when I do not feel like the item is necessary I suggest that she get it with her allowance money. For older children, there are a number of questions to consider when you begin to give an allowance. What constraints will you put on what is purchased with the allowance? While we might hope that … Continue reading →

Should Kids Help With Their Own Living Expenses?

Some friends and I were talking recently about how different we thought things were for us when we were growing up. One friend confessed that while she had gone to a private, parochial school, she had to help pay for her own tuition when it became too expensive. Her parents said that she could go to public school, but if she stayed in the private school, she was going to have to contribute to the tuition from her own earnings. As for myself, I know that I had to pay for my own gas, oil, and car repairs once I … Continue reading →

How Much Information About Finances Should We Share With Our Kids?

Money is a rough topic for a lot of families. Many of us were raised in families where open communication about money was NOT the norm, and even if we want things to be different for our own children, we might not be entirely clear on what is appropriate and what is not. Teaching our children about money goes beyond just issuing an allowance—but how much should we actually share with our children about our own personal finances? I don’t know if there is a set rule when it comes to financial information, but it stands to reason that it … Continue reading →

When Should Your Child Have a Bank Account?

There are differing opinions when it comes to kids and bank accounts. Some parents choose to get their child a savings account from a very young age—putting away gift and other money in the account until the child is old enough o start managing it on his or her own, while others maintain that a child should be of an age to take responsibility for the bank account before getting one. Is there a right way and/or wrong way to introduce our kids to the world of banking, saving, and managing money? I am of the opinion that savings accounts … Continue reading →

Ways to Help Your Child Understand Business

Do your children understand the value of a dollar? Many kids do not. There are things that parents can do to help their children, and teenagers, to get a basic grasp of money. They can also learn a little bit about business. Forbes has a really interesting article titled “13 Ways to Help Your Children Understand Business”. It was written by Dan Matthews, and posted on May 30, 2014. He gathered tips that will help parents to encourage their kids to become interested in finance and business. Each tip came from someone who is involved in business. One of those … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Groceries with Coupons

While many of our goals for the New Year have to do with health, another top resolution that is made is concerning finances. As a mom with children in middle and high school, I know that saving money is important. It will be just another year and a half before my first one is in college and I would really love to help contribute. Sometimes it’s the small things that make the most difference. When you cut corners in small ways it can add up. It’s just hard to see the big picture when you are making small changes. I … Continue reading →

Teens Can Coach and Teach

In addition to driving and getting a job, there are other ways that teenagers can experience some “rights of passage” to help them move into being an adult, or at least, an older teenager. There are still plenty of opportunities for teens to serve as camp counselors, youth sports coaches and teach classes (art, activities, Sunday school) that will help them develop maturity and learn all sorts of responsibility and other skills. Since the part-time job seems to be getting harder and harder for teenagers to find, parents might be wondering what their kids CAN do to move toward independence … Continue reading →

Tattoos, Piercings, and Mohawks (Oh, My)

I’ve mentioned before that we don’t have a lot of extreme personal fashion going on around here. I’m not sure exactly why not considering I totally prepared myself for WHATEVER when it came to teen fashion statements. That might be why we don’t–no need to shock mom (or their father) since the parents just “don’t go there.” But–I sure do see other parents’ teenagers around town all decked out in their colorful and bejeweled finery. Ever the practical person, I’m wondering 1. who is paying for all those tattoos and piercings–does it come out of allowances, part-time jobs, birthday gift … Continue reading →

Would You Give Your Teenager a Credit Card?

Okay, it’s been mentioned at my house–my daughters have asked why “since several of their friends have credit cards,” I don’t get them one! And, I do recall the day I was standing in line at the bagel/coffee shop and a teenage girl whom I recognized as having played soccer with one of my daughters a few years back was buying her super soy latte mocha with a credit card. I had mixed feelings about it. I have mixed feelings about it. I’m eager to find out what the rest of you think… If I had my way, I would … Continue reading →

Parenting Advice Column?

Recently Heather and Sherry asked readers if they would like to see an advice column in the Marriage blog. I am going to borrow their idea and ask the parents at Families.com if they would like to see an advice column in Parenting. Of course advice is just that, advice. None of us here at Families.com have all of the answers and would freely admit that we are not perfect parents. But we are definitely trying and have learned a lot from reading and personal experience. We are also more than happy to do some research on your topic if … Continue reading →