TestaRossa

I'm sticking this in here because my son isn't at school here in Italy, so I didn't want to clog the schools thread with it! Anyway, I know a few of us have teenagers - boys in particular - and I get the feeling they are all universally the same to some degree.....

Son sends me msg on Fb today - needs a camera NOW! Can he have the cash into his savings account and he'll go and get one....No explanation, no cost, model etc. 5 hours later and many texts, plus a phone call to the school art department, which I KNOW he won't have expected, I have got to the bottom of it. He needs to take photo's for his Art iGCSE and he is supposed to do the bulk over the summer but they want to kick start it in the last week so they know what they are doing....Fair enough. But prior to finding this out I have been told by son that a) camera's are expensive (!) and b) a "cheap" one is £230....! On whose planet?! I hadn't realised he really did think I was daft!! School was shocked to say the least and have said no way is he to spend that much and that it really isn't necessary anyway!! What is it with these kids??! I've gone back to him with all this and told him there's a Canon in Esselunga for €60 he can have....Interestingly I haven't heard a murmur since...

indiebird

I'm pmsl at this!!! This is soooo what I have with H and he isn't even a teenager yet! Good for you phoning the art department... my strategy, too, is to show that I'm just as sneaky as they are and I WILL check things out and I also have NO shame!

TestaRossa

He really must think I was born yesterday!! I know what it is, he thinks because it is for his art iGCSE I can be conned into thinking he needs a really good one! This is a boy who has had 4 cameras I can think of plus he's got a decent one in his phone, for a phone camera anyway, about 3million pixels I think, but never, ever used any of them!! I got a camera when I was bit older than Antonia and by the time I was his age I'd taken hundreds, if not 1000's of photos!! Most of them are even in albums! So I know, unless he proves me wrong over the summer, it isn't his "thing" it's that he doesn't want to feel left out, again, (remember the laptop saga?!) and he's a gadget boy!! It's a GCSE for goodness sake, not his degree!! Still not heard back from him since I told him I've spoken to his teacher....I just hope that doesn't actually mean he has gone and bought one and is wondering how the heck he is going to get out of it!!

indiebird

Hopefully he's just forming the next plan in his mind and hasn't actually bought it!! I must admit that H has a camera he hardly uses.... but then I'm not always so good at foties either.... I just don't think I've got an 'eye' for it. OH has.... he just hasn't had the camera out recently... maybe this weekend in Gardaland eh??!!

TestaRossa

I like taking them, and I would like a good camera - maybe I should get the 230 quid one and Alex can have my bashed, dark pink one....

dina1965

After a day at the beach with a group of friends, my teenager announced over dinner that most of them have a weekly "paghetta".
"ok. How much do they get?"
"some 20 others 30, but one gets 50 a week, but doesn't spend it all"
"how much would you consider the right amount for you ?"
"definitely 50. otherwise I won't be able to save any "

OH reckons we should continue giving him what we think he'll need (euro 2/3 for school snacks/ euro 10 for pizza with friends etc).

Ideas please ? what is the right amount at 13 ? Should a fixed amount be given so he starts to understand how to manage money ?

TestaRossa

This is what we do, so just for an example:

Alex started getting pocket money quite young but only, in the UK, 50p when he was say 6 or 7. As he got older that increased and at 15 he now gets €10/week, but he has to earn it when he is here!! So he has chores, nothing dreadful, tidy his room (yeah right!), keep his wet room and sink clean (kind of...), change his bed when I do ours and Antonia's, take out the rubbish, empty the dishwasher and help set and clear the table. Honestly, I don't personally think that is a lot to expect him to do at 15 and as he isn't here 8 months of the year, not bad pay for when he is here!!! I don't expect him to buy clothes, he gets extra if he needs it for a trip to school and I normally pay for ice-creams, sweets etc when we are out but obviously his spends is supposed to cover him at school.

There is no way on earth he would get €50/week and I'm not sure your son's friend does, does he?! He has savings from when he did some modelling as a kid and stuff I have put in for various reasons anyway, like a good report - so not often..... I think I would find out what your son's friend is expected to cover with his €50 - if he has to buy all his own clothes etc., then fair enough, but personally if it's just money for "toys" I think that is way too much!

indiebird

Hmmm I must admit that we don't give pocket money as such but the kids get a lot of money for Birthdays and Xmas and we encourage saving this for when they see 'toys' they want. We do put money into savings for them and when we go out and about I do give them some money to pay for things themselves. My son is still 10 though so I think things will change as he goes to Media next year. For a start we are giving him the cash to pay for his schoolbooks. We are also making it clear that if he wrecks a book, he is going to be paying out of the money in the money box. I often think it's amazing that when they nag you for this DS game or that book, if you say: 'if you want it, you buy it out of your money.' They suddenly don't want things as much. My kids both do jobs already and if they are being pains or won't do tihngs then my pockets seize up when we're out and about!

TestaRossa

We just felt that if he knew he would get x each week and that he was expected to earn it, he would have more respect for what he got...Doesn't always work in practice as I tend to give him the money anyway, which was why the outrage over the camera!! He's tried that one with a few things this year and I suspect peer pressure is a large part of it. It's never really bothered him before as he does get nice stuff and the latest gadgets, but I don't replace them just because another model, generation has come out and I think he is starting to feel left behind...Don't know. I do know I had a Saturday job at his age but they are next to impossible here because of all the laws so that's not happening!!

indiebird

I was doing a morning and an evening paper round from 13... can't see my kids doing it, but DH is determined to make them work when they are at college and University, just like what we did!!!

Lorna at Vicenza

When I was teaching at the liceo we had a chat about pocket money. There were a few kids that did get 50 euro a week but it wasn't all of them.

I do remember saying that it was a lot of money and one girl said it wasn't enough. When I asked what she needed all that money for she replied,

15 for a 'phone card.
10 for a pizza night with her mates.
10 for the cinema or bowling
10 for extras like make-up, accessories, drinks, ice cream or a new t-shirt.
5 she was forced to put away each week.

TestaRossa

Alex has broken his finger!!! Crushed the tip closing a table!! I cannot believe it!! He's home tomorrow - with his hand strapped for 6 weeks!!!! Boys! Left luckily.

indiebird

ouchy!! That's what my oh did when he shut it in our blind... must admit it was horrible at the time as he managed to crush it so hard he broke the skin and flesh squeezed out! I was almost green. The x-ray just showed little shards of bone where the tip should have been. Where will he need it checked here? At the hospital or at the GP??

Lorna at Vicenza

Oh no ! What rotten timing.

Is six weeks a long time? When my Alex broke his arm he was only in plaster and strapped up for a month. It wasn't a real break though - more of a hairline fracture near his elbow.

TestaRossa

He's on anti bs for infection. They had to drill a hole to let out the blood...then they xrayed it and saw it was broken. They are concerned about tendon damage cos he is still growing...I'm going to email the English doc here and see what he says plus have a read of the letter coming with him fro
the hospital!!