• According to the annual Pixpay * “Teens and Money” barometer published at the start of the year, 42% of parents regularly pay their teenager.

  • In this return, the parents readers of

    20 Minutes

     explain to us at what age they decided to grant a small nest egg to their child, and how they fixed the sum.

"Mum, Dad, do you have 10 euros to give me?" ". A question frequently asked at the start of the school year, and which often convinces parents to set rules for granting pocket money to their offspring. According to the annual Pixpay * “Teens and Money” barometer published last January, 42% of parents regularly pay their teenager. On the other hand, 50% of children only receive it occasionally, and 8% of teens never have any pocket money.

It's not easy to know at what age to start.

According to the Pixpay barometer, pocket money generally starts at age 11, an age that corresponds to entering college.

In any case, this is what Thomas decided for his child: "It is from entering 6th grade that we started, to put his foot in the stirrup with small sums", he explains, responding to our call for witnesses.

"Like that, he realizes the value of money"

But some parents start much earlier. Like Ania with her daughter when she was 6 years old: “She was starting to want to buy toys, I wanted to give her responsibilities. She knew how to wait and save to buy them. "A desire to give a little autonomy shared by Céline:" I started to give 2 euros per week to my daughter when she was around 8 years old, with the aim of teaching her to manage a budget, but also to save. "As for Marine, she gave a ticket to her son-in-law when she was 9 years old:" He puts the money in his wallet and when we go out (zoo, by attraction, fun fair, garage sale) , he takes his pocket money and uses it as he sees fit. This way, he realizes the value of money, and it is very fun to count change. "

Other families, on the contrary, prefer to postpone as much as possible… “I decided to give my daughter some pocket money when she returned to secondary school, at 15,” says Carole. Because in high school, having a little change to go to a cafe or eat a pizza with friends is important. "She will want to go out with her friends, pocket money is starting to be necessary", confirms Aurore, mother of a second year student. Marie, she listened to her maternal instinct to decide the right moment: “It was when he was 14, when I saw that my son was mature enough to manage his money. "Kristel, who started late, explains her reluctance:" My teenager was 13 or 14 years old. The complexity lay in the logistics: I didn't want her to have cash and take the risk of losing it,not have a little look at its use or worse, have it stolen and assaulted. "To reassure herself on this point, Pauline found the solution:" I pay my son a sum of money every month on a special young bank card. He can manage his account without the possibility of going beyond what I allow him via the parental management application ”.

"Since she was 13, she has had 30 euros per month"

It is also difficult to assess the amount to be awarded. Often, we copy the families we meet. Hoping that this first experience of management goes well for the children, that it teaches them the value of things, but also to have fun. Still according to the Pixpay barometer, the French give on average between 18 and 27 euros per month to college students, and between 37 and 44 euros per month to high school students. Audrey, she found an unstoppable technique: "The amount corresponds to the age of the child, so 7 years 7 euros, 8 years 8 euros, and so on ... And at the entrance to high school, 40 euros per month ". Karine also changes the amount with age: “Each receives the equivalent of double her age (12 years = 24 euros, 15 years = 30 euros) per month. We find it fair. »Virginie,prefers to respect a principle of equality between his 17-year-old son and his 9-year-old daughter, in order to avoid jealousy: "We give 50 euros to each as pocket money, and advise them for each purchase, but we leave them make their choice. "

More surprising: some parents vary the amounts granted according to criteria fixed in advance.

Like Sandy: “Money is not given (except birthdays, parties and Christmas), but it is earned against household chores (doing the dishwasher, taking out the trash, doing small DIY and cleaning jobs. gardening) and if the scores are above 14/20 ”.

For Bérengère's daughter, pocket money also acts as a carrot: “Since she was 13, she has had 30 euros per month, and this varies according to her school results: more than 17 on average, 5 euros more. .

This carrot walked very quickly, because in December, it had more than 17 on average for the quarter, ”she says.

"I don't give any, because we don't know where the money goes"

If cash is preferred with the little ones, withdrawal cards or credit cards are the norm with teenagers. What Karine confirms: “To begin with, we gave our daughters in cash, then by transfer to their current account from the age of 14 (they each have a capped blue card). It's up to them to manage. If on the 15th of the month, they have spent everything, they will have to wait until the beginning of the following month… ”.

Still, some parents refuse the very principle of pocket money, to the chagrin of their children.

Like Carole: “I don't give any, because we don't know where the money goes.

It can get out of hand.

And I don't want it to be taken for granted, easy money.

On the other hand, if my children want to have a movie, a fast food… I give what it takes ”.

And others would like to, but cannot, like Cléa: “Single mother and category C civil servant, I cannot afford it.

Because giving it pocket money implies more autonomy, and therefore allowing it to make management errors, which I cannot afford ”.

Far from being due, pocket money therefore remains a privilege.

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* The survey was carried out online from December 4 and 9, 2020 to


1,000 parents of adolescents attending college and high school.

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