Teen parents--what do you make your teens pay for?

[Pembo]

DS 16 has been working since May. His checks are direct deposit. I take $50/mo for car insurance. So far he's taken a grand total of $20 out for whatever.

 

[dreamin_disney]

My dd is only 13. She got about $200-$300 in cash and giftcards. for her bday

With that money she can buy her own clothes or snacks(candy)

Dh and I pay for all her clothes and shoes for school, undies and bras. ANy extra clothes or purses that arent neccesity she pays for.

The laws have changed so much with teen drivers that i dont even know the driving age. Our plan was at 16 if she can get a drivers license and if were able to buy a new car, she would get dh's toyota corolla sport 2009 . She can pay for gas if she plans on driving all over(depending what the laws are). As long as her grades are great, I dont mind paying for her car insurance and maintence. If she works her money will need to go to gas and her fashion clothes(not necessary clothes) and some to a savings.

Once she hits 18 and she works, she will need to pay for gas, insurance, clothes and any extras she wants.

while in high school-Dh and I say as long as she's in school and doing awesome thats her first job. She can get a summer job if she wants but we prefer not during school, thats just our choice.

Now if she's 20 and still living at home and not in college then she will have to work fulltime, pay above mentioned and rent and save up for a place of her own!!!

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

My ds is almost 15. The one thing he wants is a smart phone, we said no, when he has a job he can cover the data package charges.

He will be able to use dh's car when he is 16, we will cover insurance. We want him to save half of his paychecks.

 

[indimom]

Our daughter is 15 and has been babysitting fulltime in the summer since she was 12. She also has some evening and weekend gigs through the school year. We've never had a serious sit-down talk about her finances. She saves most (like 95%) of what she makes. She wanted an IPOD last summer, and paid for half of it (we gave her the other half as a birthday present). Other than that, she has bought one or two shirts or walked to the pizza place after school with friends a couple times. That's about it.
If and when she starts to use our cars, we'll ask for gas money when she's using it for entertainment. We'll cover the insurance as long as there are no driving issues and probably cover gas for coming/going to work assuming the job is local. I would prefer that she hold off on buying a car and just use our cars for as long as possible so she can bank more of her cash for college.
She's been able to put away a sizable nest egg in three years and she'll be in good shape for college if she continues that trend over the next four years.
She's very driven so I doubt we'll ever have to talk seriously with her about money, she's very focused on watching her savings grow.
Her bother will be a whole other thing... He's going to need rules and expectations.

 

[fun4me]

DS 17 is required to pay his car insurance, tag, gas and maintenance on his car. We really don't pay for much of anything for him anymore. Last year we paid half of his going to church camp. This year he paid the whole thing. We did pay half of his tux for prom but he paid for everything else. He also bought his graduation clothes. He isn't a big spender and doesn't really "want" a lot of things. He saved up and bought a Macbook Pro. Since he started working he has much less time to spend money so it piles up in the bank. LOL Once school starts he will have to cut back his hours and then he can use all that money for gas and whatever else he needs during the school year.

DS 14 has a-once-a-month job where he gets around $40 a month plus he mows a lawn or two now and then. He does like to spend his money but I try to encourage him save it for things he wants to do with friends or when he tags along with his older brother. That way he knows I am not the bank always shelling out money for him to do things. Although I do give him money when he runs out since $40+ doesn't go far these days.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

When I was a teenager I had to pay for my own gas, entertainment, and car insurance (I was on my fathers policy, just paid the difference between what his insurance was and how much it went up with my car on the policy). I was very lucky that my dad bought me a car, a 1989 Mercury Topaz for $1,500. He also paid for some of my clothes but I didn't buy many, I normally always wore the clothes from the year before and I didn't grow much at all in high school or since high school for that matter I paid for my own pager (in the days before cell phones) which I think was either $9 or $19 a month

My dad did give me $20 towards food each week, it was mostly used on school lunches and I just ate what ever was around the house at night when I got home from work. I was more or less on my own during the week once I turned 16. My parents separated and I lived at home with my dad and brother, both of whom worked nights so they were at work when I got home from my after school job and they were still at work/on their way home when I left for school in the morning.

 

[boltfan]

My son started working when he was 15 so he could buy a car at 16. He saved almost all of his paycheck just for that and did get a decent used car the week of his birthday. Basically, he uses his paychecks for all of his entertainment and technology purchases (all of our kids buy their own tech stuff with birthday money or allowance). He has saved 25% of each check and is leaving for college next month and is buying his books and using the rest for spending money for the year.

 

[delmar411]

as a teen I didn't have to pay for anything. I had a set monthly allowance for lunches, clothes, and then fun money. If I needed more I'd do some extra chore or hit up my boyfriend. LOL I had a job starting at age 16 and I pretty much blew all that money.

I wish I had saved it though. So I think these plans posted are really smart.

DH and I have discussed what we'll do with ODD when she gets a job. I'm not sure how easy or hard it will be for her since the under18 employment laws are so strict that places don't like to hire minors. So we're waiting to see what comes of any job hunting attempts in a couple years.

We do plan to give her some sort of vehicle when she gets her license. She'll be responsible for shuttling herself to activities and possibly some sibling shuttling too to earn her driving privileges.

We already require her to save 50% of her allowance so maybe keeping on that track for any paid jobs would be good plus 'bill' her for her cell phone to help her learn about bill payments and paying things on time.

 

[bethy]

When I got a job at 17, I paid for my own clothes and entertainment. I am the oldest child of 4. I had a car to use most of the time and was expected to help with gas, but there wasn't a set amount. My parents paid for my insurance as long as I kept up my grades and got the good student discount. I had to put away 40% of my paycheck for college and 10% for giving.

I like this approach. It's about what I plan to do with my children. But I still have a couple of years so we'll see when we get there. Currently for any babysitting and pet sitting money my kids earn - 50% goes into savings.

 

[heartsy77]

We gave DD 16 her dad's old Nissan Sentra for her birthday. She is working at Subway now and will have her license as soon as she she is done w/ drivers ed next month. We expect her to pay for her own insurance and gas. Plus extras she wants: she got her nails done this week. I also encourage her to save 1/2 paycheck a week. I think at this age she should pay for the wants; however we always paid her cellphone so we will continue to do so until she graduate's college.

 

[swilshire]

So my question is, people with teens with jobs, what do you make them pay for with their own money?

Gas. That's it. If they go out with friends, they pay their own expenses.

Minimum wage jobs don't generate a lot of income.

Sheila

 

[momma2kiddos]

My teen is almost 15 and has a job after school tutoring younger kids. She pays her own cell phone bill and occasionally pays to get her hair done. Everything else I take care of

 

[burnurcomputer]

My 14 year old pays for nothing. And he won't untill he is an adult. I personally do not support a child working while in school or during the summer untill he/she has graduated or unless there is dire family need.

My parents didn't allow me to work, my job was to go to school and do all the extras that I would never have the chance to do again. I was supplied a car and they paid the insurence and gas. I was at the school before it opened and many hours after class hours ended doing a ton of activites. My car was not fancy, my clothes were not fancy, but I was happy and learned many things that have helped me as an adult.

You work your entire life. Some people work untill the day they die. I didn't need to work to learn how to budget or how to be respectful. And you know what ? Those minimum wage jobs (yes, unskilled teenagers get low pay)often have you working in an enviroment that can physically scar you for life. Those hot grills and french fry machines can scar you just like dropping a hot bowl of soup on your way to the table. Not worth the money, IMHO. Or the having to deal with people who don't give you respect based on your age while you are working. i know that I don't want to ask a teenager about a clarification about a policy, but darn! I have seen some people be very rude!

Its also not worth the time they spend making adult decisions because they are expected to pay their way like an adult. Drugs, sex, drinking all come with Timmy having money to fork over for the above and telling his parents he is "working". I'm 33 and can tell you my graduating class has plenty of this going on. And, I was a cheerleader and in drama so its not like I wasn't popular myself....so don't think I sat arounf in the corner condemming people soul to hell or by myself in the corner of the library.

So my 14 year old can be a kid. A kid who is given a budget, has to do chores around the house as a family member, and is given the right amount of space and freedom to make good choices.

 

[rentayenta]

My DD taught religious school this last year, the year after her bat mitzvah. I did not make her pay for anything with that money. We let her blow it all on clothes. Really.

 

[hsmamato2]

ds is out of school and working/classes p/t- he pays for whatever...and we pay for his roof over his head and food. when we go out to eat,if we take him,we'll pay,otherwise he pays- his cell,etc. He has no car or license, b/c he doesn't want to pay for it all right now. He gets around on his bike(and he's in excellent shape.
We also require a small amount to the household weekly, not exactly 'rent' just a reminder that with being a young adult comes responsibilty to help out with costs.

 

[lurkernj]

I have a DS17. He works as a lifeguard in the summer. We told him two years ago that we would match whatever he saved for a car. So essentially he paid for half his car. We pay for his gas/insurance. He started the summer off broke since it all went on his car. Now he needs a new laptop(we paid for the first one), so he is saving for that. We pay for clothes, activities/camps/movies, cellphone, some outside food if there is an organized event like applebees (If I'm making dinner and he opts to go to chipotle with his friends, that's on him). We pretty much pay for everything except "wants". If he wants a new video game, slurpees, etc, that's on him. My parents made us use birthday money for socks and underwear etc, and I was pretty resentful of it, so my kids are a bit spoiled and I don't want them to have real financial responsibility at this age. They know how to save when they want something, that's enough for me right now.

 

[FLCyndi]

Gas. That's it. If they go out with friends, they pay their own expenses.

Minimum wage jobs don't generate a lot of income.

Sheila

Same here

 

[DeltaDiamond001]

I worked about 20 hours a week on top of a heavy course load while in my junior and senior years of high school. It was not easy, and my parents commended me for simply going the extra mile and working so hard for those two years.

They bought me a car (brand new too!) and paid for the insurance, but gas was my responsibility.

I didn't have to pay for my cell phone bill or chip in for any of the household expenses, but I paid for whatever I did with my friends after school/work.

If I was a parent, I'd want my high school age child to enjoy life, but still have a firm grasp on reality. I think working while in school is a great experience, but only to a point. You still need time for family/friends, homework, errands, etc.

I'd expect my child to pay for gas and after school activities, but that's it. Everything else would be taken care of. My reasoning for this is so they know what to expect when they're out in the real world. Everything has a price.

Just my two cents.

 

[drcmk]

Well, technically I still pay for everything since i give my teens a weekly allowance. Neither of them have jobs yet. I haven't forbidden jobs, but nothing has come along that doesn't interfere with studying.

If we do something as a family, I pay for the whole family. If my kids do something with friends, they usually pay for it from their allowance. I will pay for most school trips, but many times my kids have paid for the trips out of their own funds without asking me for the money. I see that as responsible, so I let them do it (but I'd never make them miss a trip due to lack of funds). I buy them enough clothing, but if they want something more or more expensive than I want to buy, they buy it. I often treat them to something if we go shopping together, but they know that this is my choice and that if they really want something, like a book or music or an ice cream cone, they have to be ready to use their allowance for it.

 

[drcmk]

I forgot to add---
I pay for their mobile phone bills because I see the phone as a necessity (I want to be able to reach them and know where they are at all times) and that includes their texting because it is just part of our family plan and it doesn't really cost me more to have it. Plus I text my kids all the time.

No one here is old enough to drive yet. I haven't thought out how we will pay for their extra driving expenses. Honestly I want them both to drive because I don't want them to be the passenger of any other teenager, so I doubt I would make it financially difficult for them. It will probably make my life easier when they drive themselves, so I think I'd cover insurance and let them drive a car I own as long as they are in school (college included).

It is hard for me to imaging charging my children to live in my house. I've often told them they can live with me for as long as they want. But I wouldn't pay for the expenses of an adult child beyond letting them live in a the house I already own and eating the food that I choose to put in the fridge. If I ever felt that they were taking advantage of me or loafing, that might change, but I don't expect that to happen.