As a child growing up who didn’t lack anything the much I remember as dad and mum always tried to provide everything we needed, I had no need for allowance. But one thing I noticed stood out for me as a child was I could remember vividly some moments that I would crave vain things growing up as a child.
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For example those years in the early 1990’s or there about, we always fantasized about buying balloons as kids and other small small things like ice creams and some of those things that you would just want to have as a child.
Not necessarily that they are pressing issues or needs that we can’t do without but as children our cravings are endless. You want to eat the latest chocolates, have the balloons and even drink ice water those days. When water was tied in nylons, chilled and sold for about ten kobo or there about.
We didn’t lack anything per se because our parents provided everything we ever needed but somehow, we wouldn’t just have the boldness to ask for these mundane things. As mundane as they are, they are sort of what made our childhood fun.
Hiding away from the watchful eyes of our parents, we would use the money given to us by our friends and relatives to buy these things. We were taught to always give the money given to us by these people to our parents. Sometimes we do as most time we do but some other times, there are cravings to satisfy and have some Pennys to your name and wasn’t so bad as a child.
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So I’d think that as a parent , it won’t be bad to give allowance money to my children, maybe not much but I know they could have one of two things they just want to have without having to bug me for that and it’s okay if they have that freedom to be financially expressive as long as they are not wasteful and spend within accountability framework.
Even if I don’t give them allowances, there’s a high probability that their uncle and aunties and relatives will obviously visit us and these visits do not go empty handed. In one way or the other they would still get money.
So I’d say it’s an opportunity for me to teach them some basic financial principles about money management which my parents obviously didn’t teach men. Well, all things been equal, if the money is there, it wouldn’t be a big deal to let them have a little extra for themselves, would it.
Most times we over reason these things because of the background where we are coming from. Maybe a background of lack and our parents probably thinks that it’s an abomination to let the children have some spare cash. They will say that after all they give you everything you need so what’s the need for an extra cash.
So since we believe that there’s a probability that they have little things to spend money on, why not make the money available for them to spend on when these little things arises and not having to bug the apt era at everything slightest moment. This is my take and I don’t think it’s a biggie especially when it can also be regulated.