You’ve probably already noticed that teens take money for granted far too often. Before you blame them, ask yourself if you’ve been fair by granting their every wish. Of course you love them and want to see them happy, but by being extremely generous, as most parents often are, you will only be spoiling them. Even worse, you may find yourself supporting them even after they’ve graduated from college. You need to avoid moving towards such a future by teaching your kids to be independent and responsible. One effective way of doing that is to make them pay for things they want. Making them realize the value of money and teaching them to spend it prudently can help you greatly in raising responsible teenagers.

Friend’s Gift

How often does your teen request for cash to buy a gift for their friend? Chances are quite often. Furthermore, gifting a book or some other inexpensive item doesn’t quite cut it for them. In order to make them realize that such items require money that doesn’t grow on parent trees, have them pay for the gifts themselves. Expect them to either throw a tantrum or emotionally blackmail you. However, don’t give in to them if you truly want to turn them into responsible teenagers. Tell them that if they want to buy a gift for someone, save up money from their pocket money or make some money through chores and use that to buy it.

Gadgets

Teens love technology, with their lives revolving around the likes of iPods, iPads, gaming consoles, etc. Don’t you wish they knew just how expensive these things are before begging you for them? There’s a simple solution to this: make them pay for it. Of course, these items are expensive and may well be out of their budget. Rather than making them pay for it entirely, you may simply ask for a contribution. This may require them to save more, do more chores, thus making them realize that “no pain, no gain”.

Food

Don’t worry, you’re not about to be asked to starve your teen. It’s your primary responsibility to feed them, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay for their burgers or pizzas. If they want to eat something of that sort, have them pay for it. They may not just teach them to be more responsible with money and understand its value, but may also keep them from over-indulgence in junk food.

Dating

When your teen begins dating, they’re bound to start asking you for more money for clothes, food, movies, gifts, etc. The more you oblige, the more their demands will grow, and the less they’d learn about responsibility and independence. Simply tell your kid that if they need to support their relationships on their own. If they’re short on cash, ask them to get a part-time job. They may find you cruel, but will surely appreciate you in the longer run for helping them to become independent and more responsible.

While it may take teens some time to adjust to the policy of paying for their things, you can safely expect them to get used to it after a while. Yes, you will be seen as a villain initially, but once they grow up, they’ll definitely thank you for helping them stand on their own feet.