Secondary school kids… Do you give them extra money on top of lunch money to buy “crap” after school?

[Guest]

As in sweets/drinks.

Trying to decide whether I’m tight for not doing so.

I just feel it unnecessary when dinner is ready when he gets in the door pretty much!

[Michelle]

Our financial drain, I mean daughter gets an extra £3 a day on top of her dinner money to get a drink etc if she needs one.

[Susan]

It's not always about the food, it's about the social participation with peers that you don't want to exclude him from. And sometimes, we all fancy a treat, even when not hungry.

[Naomi]

No. The £5-10 a week on rubbish is hundreds of pounds a year which goes on football boots days out and holidays etc.

[Jeff]

I teach kids age 11-14 (middle school in the US). They bodies are growing fast. They need lots of energy (food). They are going to be hungry. And they want to do things with their friends. So, yes, they need money to buy food. And, of course, they are hungry and won't care that much whether it is crap or healthy food. But, as long as they get healthy food during regular meals and all the nutrition they need and their weight is good and they don't have any health conditions, I think eating some snacks after school is not going to have a bad effect on their health.

[Fay]

My son is 14 and he gets £5 a week to spend on what he wants. Sometimes he goes to the shop after school. But he's good, he doesn't ask for more if he's spent it all, he knows he has to wait till Friday.

[Sarah]

Not in my opinion... they might buy sweets, fizzy drinks … not good for the teeth. Plus they could feel obligated to buy their friends stuff. I'd put fruit in their bags for after school

[Judith]

It is different here in Australia. They take a packed lunch like they always have, but now they don't get fruit time. They have more than enough, I pack more on days they have sport, and they do a lot of sport.

But no. If they want "treats" etc, they can buy it themselves now.

[Jacquie]

My twin boys get £2.70 a day each on dinner cards. If they want anything extra for snacks they can take cereal bars, fruit and water from home. Between my twins and their younger brother dinners cost me almost £40 a week so no extra cash is put on their cards. X

[Charisse]

Only you will know what's best to do for your child. My daughter has my card on her phone. I pay for school dinners and if she doesn't eat that then she will get a little snack after school. She's very sensible with what she eats and money savvy so knows not to get too carried away.

[Liz]

Mine take lunch & snacks from home.
They get money each month for things like cinema, shopping etc.
They have to budget and make it last them the whole month. If they use it all in one wkend then tough they have to wait til the end of the month.
They had a habit of using it on sweets & crap so now their bank cards stay at home mon-fri.

[Elizabeth]

I send my 2 eldest sons £5 every Friday. So they can get snacks for the weekend, or let it build up and get something from the pound shop each weekday after school.

Mine have to pass the whole town to get home

It's not much but that's all I can afford for now. They are just getting into weekend jobs too so that helps.

Especially as I pay for their phone contracts, Xbox subscription etc.

Ps. They only have two school meals a week, £2.50 each meal. and packed lunch the rest of the time.

[Jennifer]

My son gets £20 a month on his Hyperjar card. Up to him if he buys crap after school from the local shop but when it’s gone, it’s gone. He usually buys chewing gum and a drink every few days.

I top up his canteen account but he rarely gets food at school, too busy playing football. He’ll often take a pepperami and an apple out of the fridge in the mornings to keep him going .

Curfew of home by 5 on a swimming night (three nights per week) and 7 on a non swimming night now the clocks have changed and the weather is better.

We eat tea together as a family and it’s usually ready when he gets home.

[Apichaya]

Mine takes packed lunch, have a few in parent pay for dinner money, just in case. He gets £3 allowance each week, paid every half term and that's it. He budgets it himself and tend to keep half in his savings and spend half. Sometimes he forgot his water bottle, so he stopped at small Tesco that he walk past everyday to buy a bottle of water. If he wants more, he works for it. I don't give him any extra.

[Susan]

Mine used her own money but now in gcse exams, I give her £20 a week to get food and drinks if on bus after exams as not using canteen at school so not topping up the card. Mostly she comes home to eat but might do a Costa with friends.