(136) Pocket money/ Upbringing 3

It is rather difficult to strike a balance between being too strict or too liberal when it comes to parenting. Let us look at two scenarios:
1. A well to do couple hardly gave any pocket money to their child.
2. A comfortably off couple being very generous to their child. When mum hits a small lottery winning,   she gave $200 for the  13 year old girl to shop. The teenager bought a cap that costs $135, among a few things.

While in case number one, the child would have no practice in making spending decisions, girl in case number two was already making frivolous decisions at a tender age. Neither case is ideal.

If husband and wife can agree, pocket money should be given daily and in small amounts to train the child in learning to make smart decisions. When the child understands about budgeting, perhaps he can then learn to handle weekly and then monthly allowance. Gradually as the child grows older and proves trustworthy, pocket money should be increased yearly according to the need. Of course it would be wonderful to train the child to start saving from young.

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