Teens paying thier way..what do you think?

A 17 year old old girl (senior in high school) works after school and weekend as a cashier at the grocery store. She works about 20-25 hours a week. She pays her car payment, insurance, and buys her own toiletries and clothes. Now her mom wants her to pitch in to pay utilities such as phone, electricity, etc. Is it too much to ask from her or is is acceptable to ask that she pay bills too? Her family is not poor. My coworker does this and I was just wondering what people think about it.

Public Comments

1. No That is too much $ for her to pay. Also they should reward her for being so responsible. I could only wish my Girls will be that way!
2. Her mom is just teaching her about the value of money. I don't see anything wrong with her daughter pitching in and paying bills. She lives there too. It is good that she is so responsible, most teens today do not respect anything and I think it is because most parents hand everything to their kids.
3. thats ridiculous insurance and clothes thats ok but utilities and such thats absolutley horrible to do to a 17 yr old
4. I believe making her pay her car payment and insurance and all that is a great way to teach her about financial responsibility. But bills also? I think that's gong a little too far, especially if they are not poor. She's still their daughter, not a room mate for goodness sake. She should be saving the rest of her money for college or for when she wants to move out.
5. Parents are legally bound to supply food and shelter for their children. She shouldn't have to chip in for these things. Especially if her family isn't poor. That's a lot of hours for a student and she uses it for her car and clothes. That's fair. Asking more is just the parents being greedy. She SHOULD be saving the surplus for college. She'll need it.
6. Wow! I have never heard of anything like that. I have to admit, this rigor is going to make the girl a unique individual. While it seems inappropriate to me, I admit I think it might work FOR her in the long run. One would have to consider how the teen feels about it to know what the result will likely be. It could be disastrous, she could end up hating her parents. or she could be a financial genius. idk!
7. I do think this is great, however, mom is getting a little "greedy." I think this girl is getting a good lesson in responsibility. I would say as far as the phone bill, if the girl is using a lot of long distance toll, then yes, if it is an ungodly amount, she should pay. And if there is a special expensive outfit, then she should buy. But mom still has a responsibility to provide for her underage daughter.
8. at 16 i was working 25 hours a week going to school full time and in afterschool activities. my parents made me pay for my clothes or toiletries and stuff i wanted. but i was also saving to go to college and they knew that. after moving back in after college(2 yr school) i still only pay MY bills(car, phone, dance, school loans) but they have never pushed for me to make rent or buy groceries...but yes i do pick up dinner a lot or give them some cash if they are low(but thats my doing, they dont make me do it.) i think her parents are requesting too much. especially if she is only hitting 25 hours a week. i work a full time job now and after making my bills wouldnt be able to afford rent too!
9. personally if I had to pay my own way like that as a teenager I would also expect to have NO Cerfew or rules lol. If I am paying like a roomate would then I should be able to be treated like a roomate and not have any rules about where I go or what I do. However my mother did make me pay for a lot and it did teach me the value of money and hard work. I think that paying for her own car and clothes are a good thing, MAYBE add on paying for her part of the phone bill since teenages tend to talk on the phone a lot, other then that, unless she gets treated like a roomate, she shouldn't be paying for anything else. Sounds like the mother is being a little greedy.
10. i think that's a bit too much. my daughter is 17 and a senior in highschool, she's not working right now during the summer she will. she will work part time and in the fall she will go to college part time. our agreement is that her money is hers, me and her father will continue to pay the bills. i think that is only fair.
11. I think she should pay for her clothes, car payment, car insurance, and toiletries, or anything else that is just hers. It would be nice of her to offer money to pay household bills, but she shouldn't have to pay them. She should put her extra money away for fun things, or into a savings account.
12. While agree with and laud the parents for wanting to teach their daughter the value of money and how the money you earn gets spent in 'real life', I think asking her to pitch in on utilities is going overboard. That she pays for her own car, insurance and clothes is commendable. But paying for toiletries along with the utilities, I think, is overkill. Were it me, I'd instead enforce a forced savings account where some percentage of each paycheck is deposited into a savings account.
13. yes, that is too much. I could see the car payment & some extra products that she wants. The parents should be paying for toiletries & all household bills.
14. no i dont agree with teens having to pay to their parents! my mother made by brothers pay to live here! and i dont think it is rite! wen u r a parent u should kno that u will have enuff money before they have them! if u get wat i mean! lol =D
15. I think her paying her car note and for her clothes is okay but for her to pay bills around the house I don't feel that is right. I understand about responsibility in all. But Her parents need to know it takes one step at a time working is the first step of learning the real world. Her parents should be happy she is still in school all they is doing is forcing her out. They need to take a step back and realize what their child is doing is a big responsibilty all ready it's not her responsibility to take care of them she is a young adult but she is also in school. Can't say that about most of the kids out here these days.
16. It's the parents responsiblity to provide those things. They should be pround of their daughter for working so hard to ease the burden, but expecting her to pay to help run the house is unrealistic. My daughter works to pay her own bills, like her insurance, gas, cell, fast food, and of course make-up...but thats it. It's taught her to budget and save, balance a checkbook, shop smart. But most of all, it's taught her that working hard is rewarding. It's one of the most important life skills we can teach our kids....
17. Usually at my house, my parents didn't make us contribute to household expenses as long as we were attending school. I was like you, always had my own money as a young teen from doing odd jobs for the neighbors, so I bought my own toiletries. It wasn't until I quit college and was only working that I had to start paying a small amount for 'rent'. And even then, once I moved out my parents gave me all the money back (boy, was I shocked!), and I put it into my savings account. I think at 17, you are already being very responsible and they shouldn't expect more than what you (or your coworker, I should say) are already doing on their own. It's a lot more than most kids that age are doing.
18. As long as she is still in school she shouldn't have to pay rent, so to speak. It's a part time job. Once she graduates and works full time then yes. Plus if mom wants her to chip in at home she should have mentioned it when daughter started to work, not lay it on her now.
19. there is nothing wrong with your parents helping out once in awhile as long your pay them back.
20. she sounds pretty responsible having a steady job and her mom should be proud of her taking on all that she has
21. I happen to be a 17 year old girl and a senior in high school. I got a job last year as I am in the COE (Cooperative Office Education) program at school. I get to leave school early and go to work; I get paid $7.50/hr and get a grade for it. I work 20-25 hours a week and I typically make around at least but never much more than $120 a week. As soon as I began working I did start paying for a lot more things... if I went out, if I went shopping, etc. The summer after I turned 16 my parents bought me a car and a cell phone. They bought me a new car because they wanted something dependable, reliable, and they expect me to keep it for a very long time. My parents anyalyzed how much I make a week and decided that I would pay them $50 a week to go towards the phone, car payment, and car insurance. I also am responsible for my own gas and buy many of my own clothes, toilertries, etc. If I go out with my mom she will often buy a few things for me. While it sucks never having money, I do appriciate that they are teaching me that responsibility and I am glad that they don't just give me everything. Basically I think parents shouldn't just hand everything on a silver platter to teens who are capable of making their own money. It's neccessary to teach responsibility, independence, and wise money spending/saving behaviors. However, I doubt the girl is really making much working at a grocery store, parents should look at how much their teen makes to determine how much they should pay for.
22. The teen is still in high school and she's showing a lot of responsibility by working up to 25 hours per week, making car payments, buying her own clothes and toiletries. I really think that is enough pitching in for someone her age who hasn't graduated high school yet. I'm not in agreement with the mom who wants her daughter to also contribute to utilities, especially since her family is not without money. I'd say to give the girl a break, that she's doing enough with paying part of her way as it is. But if the girl is running up the phone bill with long distance calls, then maybe she should help pay for those calls. Does this girl plan to go to college or move out and rent an apartment after graduation? She has to save some of her money for these expenditures. So, her mom should cut her some slack until she's out of school and works full time.