The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-30
Children Should Earn Spending
 Money
By JULIA HoYT

Among number of letters which have received lately from readers was the following from c western mother:
 T wish you would give me your ideas on the allowance problem. How much should fairly well-to-do family give a young girl for spending money and should boy of nine have an allowance? ? My children are of various ages-from seven to seventeen. We live comfort able and l want them to have every Advantage. Particularly, do you think that three dollars a week is too much for girl in high school?" @
 My answer to that letter is very easily given: any allowance" is too much if 1t is merely given as an allow ance from the parents. I think the children of today, more than any growing generation in our history, need to learn the value of money--and giv- ing it to them will never teach that. In some way, children and especially young boys and girls of high school age should earn their allowance"
 This may seem hard and commercial minded to some parents, but I think that little analysis will show the wis dom of it. We live, as everyone is al- ways telling us, in materialist9c age. There never was so much money be- fore: and it is circulating rather rapidly and widely; jokes to the con trary notwithstanding. The vast ma jority of the people today are enjoy ing luxuries which only a few could enjoy fifty years ago. The emphasis of life is heavily upon things. and things of luxury. Only while ago statistics were announced which revealed that in the state of New Jersey there is one automobile to every eight or ten persons
 -persons, not families. Q
 Little wonder then that many moth CTS are worried by the allowance prob lem; young people today see more luxury around them than their parents did when young, and their tastes nat urally grow more extravagant. It is hard for young girl not to yeArn for expensive tea-parties, silk underwear, matinees, continual movie excursions sees companions with fat allowances from mother and father spending as their fancy chooses.
 think a child should be taught early that money represents work--or at least that it does with almost every body. A boy of nine should have an sHowance-yes; but don't call it by any such patronizing name. Call his quarter or fifty cents a week, "earn- ings." Give him some regular duties, even if it be only mailing your letters every few days. or going to the store for you. Let him understand that his money is pay for services rendered and you will be doing him a lot of good.
 Gradually, as a child grows older, the responsibilities can be increased and further defined And the pay should be increased. I think three dol lars week not too much for the aver age 16-year-old girl in high school pro- vided she performs some duties at home and realizes that failure to perform will mean loss of money to her. would also expect of this girl that she buy some of her own little knick- knacks out of this money, especially any gifts she desires to give. Holiday and birthday gifts should always entail q realization of some personal sacrifice on the part of the giver.
 I believe this course is best for the child: that is why I say: Don't throw money at your children" Make them earn it, or at least make it ap- pear to them that they are earning what you give them"