With age, children have more and more interests, and it's not surprising: what attracts the attention of a three-year-old baby is unlikely to interest a teenager. And one day there comes a time when the child comes to realize his need for pocket money.
About how teenagers really need money for pocket expenses, as well as about the pros and cons of pocket money, you will learn from this article.
Why do we need pocket money?
Children gradually become more independent of their parents. At school, they have their own social circle, their activities and habits. A child of school age is already almost formed personality. But he has not yet decided on his life goals and continues to experiment, learning from his mistakes and gaining such an important life experience. And often this experience requires financial investments.
In addition, in a school community, the child wants to have his money at least in order not to look like a black sheep among more "advanced" classmates or, conversely, to stand out from the crowd and "blast his eyes" to his comrades.
Why else need pocket money? To be able to have a snack on a break, as well as to travel by metro or taxi, to buy sweets and meet other children's desires and needs.
Many worry about how much money to give to children. A single answer to it is impossible to give, because it depends on the financial well-being of each individual family. With the amount of funds allocated to the child, you can determine by collecting a "family council", which must necessarily be present and the child. Let him tell what needs he needs money, and depending on this, his weekly budget will be determined.
Pocket money: for and against
Parents do not stop disputing whether they need pocket money, or better to give them dosed, for specific purposes. Let's figure out what in the question of pocket money is more - pluses or minuses?
Advantages of pocket money for children are as follows:
- A child learns how to manage money from a child, to plan his expenses, and sometimes to save money. This useful skill is surely useful to him in the future.
- Pocket money will help in an emergency situation, when you need to urgently call a taxi, buy a medicine, etc.
- A child can buy what he thinks is right, and not convince his parents that he needs it, and do not beg for money.
- For teenagers from 14 years, pocket money is doubly important: they make you feel more confident. Having your savings, you can not ask your parents for money whenever a guy needs, for example, to invite a girl to a movie and buy flowers. And for the girls themselves, certain financial independence is no less expensive.
The reverse side of the "monetary" medal is the following disadvantages :
- The child quickly gets used to the fact that money is always found in the pocket, and ceases to appreciate them.
- Children can spend money that their parents give, not for food and transportation, but for cigarettes and low-alcohol drinks. This happens not so rarely, especially in the senior school age. Fighting this, depriving the child of pocket expenses, is useless. This problem should be solved by preventive conversations about the dangers of these habits.
- A teenager receives money without putting any effort into it. You can correct this situation by inviting him to try to find a part-time job.
How to earn pocket money?
To the child on his own experience realized what earnings are, and continue to appreciate his work and parents' work, give him the opportunity to earn his pocket money. For this you can:
- to work as a promoter (hand out a flyer, participate in various promotions);
- to earn additionally on the Internet freelance exchanges (for schoolchildren a simple job as a rewriter or, with the appropriate skills, the processing of digital photographs to order);
- If the child is fond of needlework, he can organize the sale of his most successful crafts.
Pocket money for children is not an urgent necessity, but they help the child learn to feel adult and responsible.