How much board should a teenager starting full-time work pay?

[Howie]

Yep saving some for there future use is certainly going to happen.

[Her_C4]

When I started work my olds went on a percentage of wage, that being 20%.

I earned $25 a week back then (gas was 47c a gallon, or 4.5l) so I paid $5 a week board. I could do a shitload on the twenty bucks I had left and had a V8 after just 3 months of working.

Been broke ever since.

Here I am showing my age (again!) but when I started work I was earning $18.50 a week and paid $10 board. I barely had enough money left to buy bus tickets and panty hose.

Moving forward to my children and it became quite an exercise to determine what was fair as they were still students. I think around $25% of their income is pretty reasonable as a starting point, along with specific contributions towards the support of the household (ie cooking for one day a week, dishes, laundry, shopping etc).

[Virago]

When I first started work (way back in the 70's), I earned $40 in the hand for a 40 hour week - I paid $15 to Mum and Dad.

When our daughter started work about 3 years ago, we charged her $80 a week - quite cheap in comparison.

[cowboyz]

depends on the kid. if they are responsible then give em a break so they can save and pay for stuff later. If they still have some learning to do then charge them whatever and give half back at the end of the year. Its an incentive thing.

[Highlander]

Because I think that parents should support their kids by providing food and shelter, free of charge.

Whilst I agree with that philosophy, once they are in full time employment I think they should be contributing financially. Though I can understand there may be times when that needs to give way to the parenting / nurturing / assisting mode for a specific reason, and that should be short term to get them back on their feet.

depends on the kid. if they are responsible then give em a break so they can save and pay for stuff later. If they still have some learning to do then charge them whatever and give half back at the end of the year. Its an incentive thing.

Good idea, but probably more of an incentive to talk about it with them and let them know that they are getting it cheap so they can (and are expected to) save, then let them see the savings build up in their own account.

[peasea]

Here I am showing my age (again!) but when I started work I was earning $18.50 a week and paid $10 board. I barely had enough money left to buy bus tickets and panty hose.

Moving forward to my children and it became quite an exercise to determine what was fair as they were still students. I think around $25% of their income is pretty reasonable as a starting point, along with specific contributions towards the support of the household (ie cooking for one day a week, dishes, laundry, shopping etc).

Well, lucky you! I NEVER had enough money for panty hose; I'm still undergoing counselling for that.

I told my kids they could live with me for free if they were studying and produced good grades. My youngest is off to Uni next year but geography got in the way of her living with us so I'll top her a/c as often as I can but it won't be much.

Student loans suck and I'd rather try to prevent her having one.

[Subike]

My mother had a solution to this problem which I think works well;
There were 7 of us children, not all working at same time of course, but spread out over 12 years...
20% of the income we earnt before Tax was what she charged us for board.
This was adjusted each time we got pay increases due to either job changes of hours work on apprentiships.
This was 30 + years sgo and may not work in todays economic climate.
It was the equivalent to either a weeks rent or a weeks mortage payment at the time.
I concider it to be fair, and charged my own sons the same 20% when they started working.
as there were several of us working at one time in the family, because we all paid the same 20%, it was fair on everybody, and nobody felt they were paying too much or too little.

[98tls]

Voted the hundy,fwiw probably a bit soft considering mum will no doubt do the washing etc,will at least go somewhat to preparing him for the real world.Made me think of my old mans words ie "will give you nothing but a job".

[Indiana_Jones]

$150 I reckon if they're working fulltime and getting mummy to wipe their bum still.

Depends on how much they earn etc.

-Indy

[Howie]

Voted the hundy,fwiw probably a bit soft considering mum will no doubt do the washing etc,will at least go somewhat to preparing him for the real world.Made me think of my old mans words ie "will give you nothing but a job".

$150 I reckon if they're working fulltime and getting mummy to wipe their bum still.

Depends on how much they earn etc.

-Indy

Ok to clear one thing up, the only Parent in this household is myself a full time working single parent, so both my teens already help out a bit with household chores.

[Highlander]

Ok to clear one thing up, the only Parent in this household is myself a full time working single parent, so both my teens already help out a bit with household chores.

Teenagers should be helping out around the house, it is how they learn to do the jobs that need doing - dishes, floors and toilets don't clean themselves!!

[steve_t]

If they're getting over $400 a week in the hand, $150 for board is pretty sweet! Especially if your power bills are massive!!

[98tls]

Ok to clear one thing up, the only Parent in this household is myself a full time working single parent, so both my teens already help out a bit with household chores.

A hundy sounds fair then.And good on ya fwiw.

[Indiana_Jones]

$125 and doing some house work sounds reasonable I reckon

Just to chip in and help really, and to help them get used to the real world

-Indy

[mynameis]

ok i would like to know who voted "none" on the poll and tell me why

could this be your son?

I voted none because parents share the responsibility of supporting and providing for their children whilst they are trying to transition into the "real" world and trying to get up on their own feet successfully.

Charging a teenager money to stay at their own home (somewhere they have lived for 18 odd years for free and called home) is a bit harsh and in no way instils any form of responsibility but could form a basis of resentment. It should come from them direct as a form of appreciation and they should wilfully contribute towards the household in whatever way they can.

Setting a fixed amount on a teenager isn't right.

The only thing in that teenagers mind will be why should I pay them $100 a week when I can go group flatting with my mates at $105 a week and get on the piss every day and party every weekend, something they won't be able to do at home.

Now I know what you're thinking right now. It's AND WHAT?

Well I believe in education and that a kid should go to University/Tech and further his/her studies and obtain some kind of qualification therefore increasing his/her chances of a better paying job and living at least a half decent lifestyle.

Dropping out of school, getting into ordinary full time employment at an early age, moving out of home when you're a teenager will most likely lead you to be very ordinary citizen of this country (Read, someone of the lower socio-economic, uneducated, struggling ordinary citizen)

And remember they may have a full time job and be classed as adults but are still kids who have a lot of learning and growing up to do with the GUIDANCE of their parents not their mates who know no better.

That's why kids should live at home till they have grown up a bit and at least gained some qualification/skill and their lives should be made easy whilst they are transitioning not made difficult.

I know his case is a little bit different but a lot applies.

(Bring on the KB attack because I've posted something totally different )