Pocket money is like a double-edged sword. While it has become nearly inevitable, and may provide an opportunity for plenty of lessons for the child, psychiatrists say, unmonitored money spending may even lead to deviant behaviour among children.
“Nearly every child gets pocket money these days, though there is a vast difference in the amount each child may get. Technically, it is a fantastic opportunity to teach the child about the basics of finance and accounting in a manner they will never learn elsewhere. Teaching the importance of money and discretionary spending is also possible,” C.Kumarababu, senior child psychiatrist says.
But, the child's attitude towards money depends essentially on how he sees it being spent at home, and primarily by the parents. “The child watches how parents spend money, and how they treat it. There must be an agreement about what they child should spend the pocket money on, and discussions, perhaps monthly, on what it was actually spent on,” he adds.
Also pocket money provides a fine opportunity to help the kids cut their teeth on finances and accounting.
One thing that is certain is that a lot more money is being given to children as pocket money, and very few parents are in the habit of giving their wards money when the need arises, unlike in the past.
A 2011 study by ASSOCHAM on “Current Pocket Money Trends in Urban India” spoke to over 3,000 respondents in the 12-20 years age group in five metros, including Chennai (which was at the bottom of the list in terms of pocket money – the maximum was Rs.5,000). Shockingly, it revealed that children were getting pocket money upwards of Rs.12,000 in India, many times more than the few thousands that children were used to getting just six years ago. Apparently, big budget items that kids were going in for was gadgets (55 per cent), 25 per cent spent money on movies and malls, and about 20 per cent on eating out.
“Food is on top of the list – for all children, irrespective of their socio economic strata. If they have money, they buy food. Unfortunately, most of it is junk food and fizzy drinks,” Dr. Kumarababu explains.
Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, this leads to obesity and a whole string of metabolic disorders that are best prevented at a young age, doctors say. The next big spending is on gadgets and on video games CDs and DVDs, all of which further encourage a sedentary life.
Sr. Dulcy, Principal, Holy Angels' Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, says children are given awareness programmes on how to use the money responsibly. “We target children in Standards VI and VII primarily, and we give them messages about using the money received from parents with discretion. Simultaneously, we also give them lectures advising against consuming junk food. We avoid selling such stuff in the school's tuck shop, but also tell them about the disadvantages so they don't splurge on it outside.”
The constant battle, she says, is that often much of this good advice is undone at home.
Keywords: Chennai teacher killing, student kills teacher, student-teacher relationship, pocket money
Pocket money may help children develop sense of intelligent spending
but it is not an a-priori principle. Most cases show deviations
rather than the objectives. Moreover, the parents who provide such
monies are not conceivably cognoscente about its consequences. It
high time we think about the emphasis on education: is it mere
teachings of science and maths, or the skills necessary to earn?
What if one is a highly skilful doctor and very corrupted? How many
lives can he take to premature death and complications for money?
How much do we emphasise on social values and proper social science
studies which can develop right attitude in the minds on the pupils
and thus develop a responsible civil society. It also must teach us
the undue importance given to the film world. The chocolate heroes
and heroins should go off from our children's lives. They had never been our role models. Its the duty of the parents, teachers and the
state to show the right path.
Iam against, of the pocket money given to children, when the children are been provided with lunch and the snacks from home.If the student is having excess of pocket money then the school should take the disciplinary action, and should be reported to the parents.
Being a teacher abroad (Ethiopia), it shocked me how the young generation is becoming deviant in their ways. This incident shows how the current life styles of their children prove to be disastrous. Too much of pampering and allowing the kids to engage in the gadgets may make them insensitive to the society.This is high time the academicians, psychologists and parents come together and discuss where things went wrong. At least this could help in diagnosing the cause for occurrence of such crimes.
This is really something which cannot be digested. School is the place where discipline is taught but such indisciplinary act inside school shows harden heart of today's students. Such act will be initiative for other crimes inside the school as well. Moreover parents should take a look at the children activities before and after school time. And should have the habbit of checking the bags of one's own child. When parents began discussing with the schooling activites with the children and give them support to overcome the lagging area such crimes can be avoided.
Apparently the boy has a healthy family background and a pampered kid
at home, which doesn't mean the parents should have been proud. Its a
disgrace to the family and embarrassing incident where he got a bad
reputation to his community, panic to other students and their parents
and the schools. Basically his brought up been worst and seems quite
possessive and obsessive mentality. Psychic threat to the community.
Video games, tv, movies etc should not be provided to any kid at
schools and pocket money should be avoided whereas excess money other
than lunch or snacks might also drive to bad habits and finally kid
becomes a sadist.
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