Do You Ask Your Offspring For 'board' If They Are Working And Living At Home?

[dave50]

We always have with ours but it seems that more and more parents these days don't ask their kids for anything for upkeep even if they are on a good wage. How will they learn the value of anything if they are allowed to live for free? What do others think?

[dannyk13]

In my day it was normal for working offspring to pay board.

[Old_Geezer]

I have no known offspring but if I had then as they reach adulthood and become employed they would be due to contribute something to the household kitty whilst they opted to stay. As you say, they won't develop the necessary life skills without being introduced to them, and it'll be a heck of a shock if they move out and have to cope all at once.

[Cloverjo]

I agree, grown-up kids tend to have it easy now. It's part of that "helicopter parenting" thing where parents oversee everything to do with their kids' lives and make sure they want for nothing from cradle to eventually flying the nest and beyond. I have to admit I'm guilty of that myself to some extent. I did try to rein it in when I realised what I was doing wasn't helping him overall.
If mine wants to come back after uni, I will ask for board. I think parents should, even if they can afford to feed and house them.

[roopower]

At present, my son is not earning a great amount. I don't ask him for board, although he contributes now and again, but he is putting money away each month towards a place of his own. Otherwise he will never afford to move out.

[flobadob]

I'm around ten years off this being an issue but I think I would charge board if he was spending his money frivolously. However, as roo says, if he was doing his best to buy a house/car etc then I would probably let him decide what if anything he could afford.

[Ric.ror]

Well I asked - But I did not get

[fairycakes69]

We charge ours, it's not much, but if I needed more they would give more and not complain.

[pastafreak]

My daughters presence at home was quite sporadic from the age of 17 or so. First she was mostly with a BF,then it was uni. During her breaks when she did come home, she was working and putting aside money for traveling...(or paying off credit cards). And,if she wasn't home...she was traveling. Consequently,I never really asked her for a regular contribution...though she often bought food for the two of us.

[atalanta]

We have had this question a few times before. My answer: if they expect the same as they had when they were at school - food, laundry, lifts, their rooms cleaned - they pay two thirds of their pay-packet. ( before deductions for transport, etc) . If they get only the bed and the roof over their heads, and organise their own clothes, food, laundry, etc, they pay one-third.
But that doesn't stop the parents secretly setting up a resettlement fund with these contributions, to be handed over as a pleasant surprise when the offspring leave the nest for good.

[aelmpvw]

do parents really need to ask for a contribution once their children are working full time? ... i would be amazed if they do

[Elina]

Hi dave, my two children left a while back, but yes I took a monthly keep off them. I agree, they need to learn how to 'manage' their money & learn how to budget.

[Ric.ror]

The best advice I got (too late mind you) was to take one third, make them save one third and have the remainder to spend on themselves.
The woman who did this saved most of the 'board' and then her son had the deposit for his own house at 21

[Elina]

Hard to 'control' an offsprings hard earned cash I would imagine Ric.

[Elina]

We started ours off when they were young with the 'Natwest Pigs' money boxes if you remember them? Then a building society account. They both have good heads for money. Good to introduce these things as soon as they're able to.

[hc4361]

One third of take home pay for board. If you are in a situation to afford it, there is no reason why this money can't be given back as a surprise to help with the cost of their first home.

[Tizzi24]

I charged mine while they were at home and my son also charges his two girls who only have part-time jobs. I think this teaches them the value of money and how to budget.

[Bazile]

My daughter was in rented accomadation untill recently , when the landlord decided that he was getting rid of the property .

We told her to come back home , rather than going into another rented accomodation ; give us some keep and save the rest of her money she would have used for renting ,to save for the deposit on a property

[ToraToraTora]

yes, I had to paid £10 a week, originally, when I reached 16, when I lived at home regardless of my income. It doesn't help in the longer term if kids think they can live buck shee. I suppose, though, that's how socialists are created.