23 jul 2022 om 21:00 | Update: 2 minuten geleden
Beach balls, cotton candy or ice cream: on holiday children want to buy things themselves. How much money do you give your child during the summer holidays? And how do you teach a child to deal with it wisely?
By: Hannah KönigThe amount of holiday pay a child receives differs per family. Nibud has guidelines for pocket money, but not for holiday money.
Parents who are looking for some guidance can use the rule of thumb from the Money Wise website: for children of primary school age, multiply the number of weeks you go on holiday by the pocket money they receive each week. If your child receives 2 euros in pocket money per week and you go on holiday for three weeks, you give 6 euros.
“The summer holidays are a good time to teach a child how to deal with money,” says Christian Meijer of Wijzer in Geldzaken. Agree with your child what he or she can and cannot spend his or her money on and give your child the freedom to make his or her own choices within these agreements. If you’re at a campground and you can kayak or rent a go-kart, ask your kid what he likes to do most.”
Make a holiday budget
First of all, it is important to see whether it is possible to give your child holiday pay, emphasizes Cora van Horssen of Nibud. It is also advisable for parents to talk about money with children. “This is often still a taboo in the Netherlands, which is a shame, because you can teach young children a lot for the future.”
“I advise parents to make a holiday budget and to involve the children in this. Tell them what is financially possible and what is not, for example that when you go to an amusement park, you cannot also go out for dinner. It is good that children realize that you make choices all day long and are responsible for them yourself.”
Some young people who go out alone for the first time have no idea what a drink on the terrace costs.
Most children go on holiday without parents for the first time around the age of sixteen and then need to know what costs are involved: travel costs, accommodation costs, costs of food and drink, costs for doing fun things, but also telecom costs, for example.
“Some young people who go out alone for the first time have no idea what a drink on the terrace costs. As a parent you can show a child this on the menu. You can also teach your children that you don’t have to sit on a terrace every day. lunch, but can also score a baguette at a bakery to have a picnic somewhere.”
Cash is no longer of this time
Nowadays you can pay by card and contactless everywhere. Because of this, the temptation to spend money can be great for the young generation. Van Horssen: “Many adults can still remember that you used to have to withdraw cash before you were at your holiday destination, but our children grow up in a world in which payments take place online.”
“Although cash is no longer of this time, it is still advisable to start from a daily budget. If your child goes on holiday alone, sit down together and make clear what costs there are, who pays which costs and how much you pay. child can spend per day.”
The sixteen-year-old son of Astrid Regterschot is currently going to Barcelona for a week with friends to freerun: “Bo works in the market and has saved up all year for his holiday in Spain. Together with his friends, he thought of what amount would be needed per person and he has put money aside every month for this trip. His father and I contributed 100 euros to his plane ticket, but he pays everything else himself.”
Save yourself for vacation
Because Bo has earned and saved the money for his holiday himself, he can decide for himself what he spends it on in Spain. “The group of friends has opted for a cheap apartment and cheap ticket and they want to do their own shopping and cooking, to get through the week with as little money as possible. I think it helps a lot to let children save for their holiday plans themselves, so that they can control themselves.”
Regterschot and her husband also find it important that their sensible son has an unforgettable time. “Enjoy your holiday and don’t be too frugal, is our motto.”
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