I take 50 cents from my teen for everything he forgets: too strict?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
My thirteen-year-old son gets a $20 monthly allowance. He forgets everything: his water bottle at school, his keys, his jacket at a friend’s, the bathroom light. To teach him responsibility, I set up a fine system: 50 cents per slip, tracked on a whiteboard in the kitchen. This month, he ended up with $3. He protested, calling it “extortion.” I told him that in real life, forgetting things costs money too. My husband thinks I’m going overboard, and that the whiteboard in the kitchen, in front of guests, is humiliating. I think it works: he remembered his water bottle three days in a row.
Their side
My son explains that he doesn’t forget on purpose, and that at this rate his allowance is pointless. He thinks some fines are unfair: the light, for example, his sister forgets it too, and she doesn’t pay. My husband adds that an allowance is meant to teach how to manage a budget, not to punish. He suggests a bonus instead when our son remembers everything.
So, who's wrong?
One vote per person. Results show up after you vote.