I have a daughter who is now 13 years old and is currently studying at an Islamic boarding school (pesantren). They provide dormitories for both girls and boys. The education provided there includes general school subjects, religious studies, and a deeper understanding of Islam. Even though she no longer lives at home, we visit her every two or three days. We pay her tuition of around one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah per month and a monthly allowance of six hundred and fifty thousand rupiah for food. We also bring snacks when we visit her. I also give her an allowance of ten thousand rupiah per day.

Previously, I also gave my daughter an allowance when she was at home, when she was in elementary school and lived with us. Even though we provided food and drink at home, I still gave her an allowance to buy snacks at school. I usually gave her an allowance of five thousand rupiah, and that wasn't just for me, almost everyone. Children in our area always give their children pocket money in varying amounts, and this has become our custom here, even though they are provided with meals at home.

Because we are used to giving our children pocket money, we no longer feel burdened and consider it our obligation. This has been passed down from our parents. We believe that a human stomach will feel hungry every two hours, and this is normal. We find it too much trouble to provide them with packed meals to take to school in lieu of pocket money. We consider it too much trouble, so we choose to give them pocket money. Therefore, every school has a canteen selling food and drinks; we feel that is the best option.

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However, there are also parents who choose not to give their children pocket money and choose to provide them with food brought from home, citing health concerns, hygiene, and proper and balanced nutrition. I admire such parents who are willing to work harder for their children's health. I admit that the food sold in schools is less hygienic, unhealthy, and the nutritional value is unmeasured.

Perhaps the culture in cities is very different from that in villages, especially those in cities. They prefer not to give their children pocket money and provide food from home for health reasons. This contrasts with life in their village, where health issues are less important. They prefer to give their children pocket money, and they are not burdened by the additional expenses of their pocket money. They even feel burdened by having to prepare additional food for their children in lieu of pocket money.

If the economy becomes increasingly difficult in the future, perhaps everyone should stop giving their children pocket money and switch to providing food from home. This might save money, as the future is uncertain. If the war in Iran continues, it's possible, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully, this war will end soon and the world economy will recover.