Adult Kids - Do/Should They Still Pay Board?

[~Kaz~]

The rule with my Mum was that as long as we were studying, she'd support us, but if we finished/quit uni, then we had to pay board. I don't remember how much it was (early 90s), but it was more than fair. We also had jobs from when we were 15 & had to buy our own clothes, entertainment with that.

:yeahthat:

As others have said, it teaches/develops financial responsibility and means that it won't be such a rude shock when she does finally move out to pay rent/bills/food etc by herself.

If it's how you plan to do things in future then dicussing it now (not in a full on way but just dropping it into conversation at opportune times) might be a good idea so she knows what's coming and what will be expected and the reasons behind it. We always knew the 'rules' around this stuff in advance so it was just accepted and no big deal in our house.

[briggsy's girl]

my folks were on very low incomes so, on my 16th birthday, i went onto youth allowance. from that day, i paid board when i was staying at home. when i went away to uni, i paid my own way, so if i went home for a "holiday" from uni, i paid a token amount towards food and stuff, but over summer when i was there full time again, i paid board. i think i paid a "per day" amount cos i used to stay with my bro sometimes and would give him money if i was staying there. worked out to about 10bucks a day

[Ree*Ree]

Yup, ever since I got a job at 15 I had to pay board. We based the amount I (and my brother when he got a job as well) had to pay on how much I was earning - 10% of my weekly pay. From then on anything not school-related that I wanted, I bought for myself. This was when I was allowed to get a mobile phone as well - when I could pay for it myself. I think it's definitely fair to charge board, I'm not letting my kids bludge off me once they are earning their own money!!

[E_Kids]

I have two children that work full time and pay board.....one of the reasons that they pay is DH and I was to instil in our children that nothing in life is for free and you do have to work hard for things that you want.

They have a bedroom each of their own also.

I have cousins that have children also and when their children where younger and living at home they charged there children board when they began working.The parents where pritty well off and didn't need the money so they decided to open a bank account in the kids names and put the board in the account for when the decided to leave home they had the money there to get them started.

[ss_storm]

My older brother will be 24 this year and still lives at home. He works as a farmhand for my parents and mum takes money for board out of his wages each week.

I think if they are working then it is fair enough they help contribute to the household they are living in, even if it's only $50 or $100 each week it's still a financial contribution and sets them up for their future responsibilities when they do eventually move out of home (although in my brother's case I don't think he'll ever leave )

[Rouge]

We plan to make our kids pay board, and then invest it for them to give them later in life for a house

[fionas]

Thanks everyone - maybe I'm not as old-fashioned as I'd thought!