Community Corner
Moms Talk: Should You Bankroll Your Teen's Fun?
Check out what other moms in your neck of the woods are chatting about this week and then put in your two cents!
Question: My teenage son has had his hand out all summer: "Mom, I need ten bucks for the movies. Mom, I need ten bucks for snacks at the pool ..." He claims "everyone else's" folks fork out money for their summertime adventures. I don't mind funding his fun here and there, but my wallet is getting thin and so is my patience!
Answer: "Money doesn't grow on trees." That's what our folks told us back in the day. And not much has changed since then. Does your son get an allowance? If not, try writing up a list of chores he can do to earn his "fun" money every week. If the things get accomplished, he gets paid. Or give him a set amount, say $10 a week, and tell him he's got to figure out how to stretch it. If he blows it all at the movies, he'll have to work to earn more. This doesn't make you a mean mom, it just means you're preparing him for the real world someday when he gets a job and has to learn to manage his money.
