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

[niknakk]

Although my parents are well off, they have always wanted to teach me the value of a dollar (something I am forever thankful for)
When I graduated highschool early when I turned 16, so when I graduated I got a full time job and from there on I paid for everything myself, cell phone, car, insurance ect. Then When I was 17 I moved out for college and paid for everything myself then too.

I think the best idea would be to have her pay for gas, and insurance, but the money she gives you, you should put into a special savings without telling her (only if you can afford to) and when she goes to college you can give her all the money you saved up for her. That was she will understand paying for monthly expenses but she will have a little extra savings on top of whatever she has saved herself. Just a thought!

 

[kmvand1]

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

That's how we do it with our teens as well. And jobs for teens are so hard to find.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Although my parents are well off, they have always wanted to teach me the value of a dollar (something I am forever thankful for)
When I graduated highschool early when I turned 16, so when I graduated I got a full time job and from there on I paid for everything myself, cell phone, car, insurance ect. Then When I was 17 I moved out for college and paid for everything myself then too.

I think the best idea would be to have her pay for gas, and insurance, but the money she gives you, you should put into a special savings without telling her (only if you can afford to) and when she goes to college you can give her all the money you saved up for her. That was she will understand paying for monthly expenses but she will have a little extra savings on top of whatever she has saved herself. Just a thought!

I have thought about doing that with gas money, but I think I will need her share to actually go to insurance.

 

[MEM]

My DD16 has a part-time job a few hours after school 2 days a week and either Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Right now she pays for some clothes, some shoes and all make-up, jewelry, entertainment. I buy her contact lenses, most HBA, watches, coats, etc. She pays for manicures, pedicures, haircuts (although I have no problem paying for haircuts DH seems to think she should). We plan to upgrade our phones to iPhones soon - she will pay the $6.99/mo insurance since she is very hard on phones but I will pay for the phone and the plan.

She has a tendency to buy cheap shoes and bras so I will offer to "upgrade" these items out of my pocket so that she has supportive shoes and bras that will last.

She is not driving yet but I imagine she will have to pay for gasoline.

 

[angierae]

As far as teens working, I can get behind not wanting your teen to work during the school year, but for summers, I think 16-17 year olds at least need to be working. I think a 16 or 17 year old with a wide-open summer with nothing to do all day is going to have more of an opportunity to get in trouble than a 16 or 17 year old working 30 hours a week and getting a paycheck.

(Heck, my daughter is working 8:30-5 right now and says she's too tired in the evening to do anything. She gets home between 5:30-6 and is in bed by 10. No chance to get in trouble there!)

 

[pigletto]

As far as teens working, I can get behind not wanting your teen to work during the school year, but for summers, I think 16-17 year olds at least need to be working. I think a 16 or 17 year old with a wide-open summer with nothing to do all day is going to have more of an opportunity to get in trouble than a 16 or 17 year old working 30 hours a week and getting a paycheck.

(Heck, my daughter is working 8:30-5 right now and says she's too tired in the evening to do anything. She gets home between 5:30-6 and is in bed by 10. No chance to get in trouble there!)

I agree. It's really not abuse to expect a 16 or 17 year to start taking responsibility. Not to mention, University is looming. A summer job is going to mean that my daughter has 3 years to save for spending money and books while she is attending school. My husband and I will do our darndest to cover the rest.
All of us pitching in together to make sure she can walk into her adult life unburdened with thousands of dollars in loans is something she will be thankful for. Trust me on that. She wants to work in the summers.

 

[CTcruiser]

IMHO, I think it depends on the child.

My sister and I are opposites- I'm a saver and she's a spender.

I got a job at 16, she's now 16 and does not have one.

When I was a teenager I was expected to pay for my gas and entertainment. It was a treat when one of my parents would slip me $20 for something fun or fill up my tank on occasion. I learned very fast that the freedom that came with having a car wasn't free and minimum wage couldn't do much on top of buying gas.

ETA: Not having to pay money on insurance, phone bills, etc. allowed me to not work during the school year and keep up my grades to get a substantial scholarship to school. I now have a savings to pay my parents college tuition payments as my parents did not try to run me broke with bills.

 

[Anne34]

My kids have summer jobs. It's too hard during the school year with sports & homework. We want them to see school as their "work" right now. We do expect them to pay for their own gas and entertainment. We pay for everything else.