by James Lynne

Created on: March 24, 2009   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

In life, "one size fits all" advice rarely fits anyone. So it is with the idea that older children should earn their own pocket money. There are instances where it is quite beneficial for the child to earn his own pocket money as well as instances where this practice works against  the child. Whether or not older children should earn their pocket money depends on the individual family and its values, but in general children should not "have to" earn pocket money if doing so interferes with more important, developmental tasks of adolescence.

Adolescents should not be "expected" to earn their own pocket money, but it can be beneficial for them to do so, under the right circumstances. The period of adolescence is a time for young people to define who they are, receive a proper education, and to develop independence from parents. Learning financial independence through earning their own pocket money can be beneficial, but also carries the risk of interfering with the other, more important tasks of adolescence such as doing well in school, participating in appropriate extra-curricular activities, and community involvement.

The expectation that a child "should" earn his own pocket money is problematic. Some older children might benefit from earning their own money, but the obligation to do so places an inappropriate burden on them at a time of life when other experiences might be more beneficial than joining the work force.

Some children, based on their own goals and values, can benefit significantly from holding part time jobs. If it is part of the child's motivation and personal plan, earning his own money can be quite validating. This is not a truism for every child. Some children can become so distracted by the job and the income they earn from it they lose sight of more important issues.

As a high school teacher I saw too many instances where students took on part time jobs to pay for automobiles, insurance, and related car expenses only to discover, after the fact, the process consumed their lives and cost them their education. After four years of high school they were left with used cars and substandard educations. Earning money to pay car bills pushed their educations off the highway.

Part time jobs often rob older students of the opportunity to be children. Childhood and adolescence are "one time" experiences. There is a level of carefree innocence and exploration that is developmentally important during this period in life. It is important to healthy

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