SRL Archive - The Bashing Club / BBQ Pit

In two days (11/11/2010) its my little brothers birthday, he is turning 13 (all good so far), which is the age where he can get a paper round (this is where the problem starts).

My income is £20 EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) and £10-12 from my paper round.

Because my brothers birthday is in 2 days my parents said that i have to give my little brother the paper round. I don't think this is fair. I only get the £20 EMA if it is not a school holiday (such as half-term or christmas holidays). So for around 15-20 weeks a year i wont get any money at all.

I wouldn't mind giving him the paper round if i got the £20 each week.

even after all that i have to pay my parents £10 a week house keeping so that leaves me with £10 a week (if i get it). but i still have to pay house keeping even if i don't get the EMA, which means for those 15-20 weeks i'm going to be out of pocket.

Now ever since i turned 13 my mum said i had to buy everything i wanted out of my own money (which i had none because i never got any pocket money). But ever since i turned 13 my little brother suddenly started to get pocket money every week.

Since i turned 13 i worked hard to get as much money as i can to get what i want, and i didn't manage to get a paper round for 5 months. But at the moment i'm essentially just using my paper round money just to stay living where i am.

They have just had a go at me because i said that i don't want to give my paper round to him because, as far as i am concerned, its my present to him so i should get to decide what to give him.

So they started going on about how i am a selfish bastard and i never think of anyone other than myself, and i always got everything bought for me when i was younger (which i didn't) and they don't seem to see my side.

So in short:

• I never got pocket money when i was little
• My little brother does get pocket money
• Im being forced to give my job to my little brother
• I will only recieve £20 a week from EMA for 39-36 weeks each year (for the next year and a half)
• I have to pay £10 house keeping even if i don't get anything that week
• Each week i dont get any money i am going to be £10 out of pocket
• I had to wait 5 months before i could earn any money
• My little brother is earing money as soon as he turns 13

So yeah, my brother has his life so much easier than mine and my parents don't seem to give a shit about whether i am out of pocket or not, as long as he gets a job straight away.

So what is everyone else's thoughts, am i wrong for not wanting to give my brother the paper round or are my parents complete arse-holes like i think they are?

~shut

EDIT: seems like the only thing that does care about me is my cat who is sitting on me at the moment

Move to usa?

Who in the right mind makes any child at 13 work for money in this day in age. I earned maybe 10 a month for doing chores, but I didn't have to find a job till I was 16. I never had to pay to live with my parents as its the law to take care of there child.

All in all damn, I'm proud to be an american. You have every right to be pissed, I know I would.

Harsh
talk to your perants about it as far as i know i think he should go out and find his own job
he hasent turned any older if he still has to rely on other people for money
your perants are not arse-holes it's like that in every family the younger one always get's treated better for some reason even tho im the younger brother in my family i agree with this
i think you shouldnt give your brother a paper round but you could spend a bit of money on him for his birthday
he's not gonna complain if he gets a really good present and your perants arnt going to go mad at you for giving your brother a present he likes?

Tell your parents what you just told us. If they pretty much ignore you, flip out at them.

From: Rich
Tell your parents what you just told us. If they pretty much ignore you, flip out at them.

thats what i was telling them and they called me a selfish arsehole…

~shut

From: Shuttleu
thats what i was telling them and they called me a selfish arsehole…

~shut

did you explain to them that when you was his age you when out to get your own job?

From: pur3b100d
did you explain to them that when you was his age you when out to get your own job?

yep, and they said "well you dont need the paper round any more", so i said that without it im gonna be out of pocket if i dont have college and they said that i better find another job

~shut

From: Shuttleu
thats what i was telling them and they called me a selfish arsehole…

~shut

Tell them they're blinded by their love of their other child and not any love of you. That usually sticks it to them in bitter ways.

lmao when your bday?
ask for your dad's job hehe wont be a bad idea?

From: Squancy
Move to usa?

Who in the right mind makes any child at 13 work for money in this day in age. I earned maybe 10 a month for doing chores, but I didn't have to find a job till I was 16. I never had to pay to live with my parents as its the law to take care of there child.

All in all damn, I'm proud to be an american. You have every right to be pissed, I know I would.

When I was 13 I had a job then at 14-16 I worked at ColdStone Creamery making $5.15.. i think getting a job when your that young is a good thing.

But shut i agree where you are coming from that isn't fair.

Do you live where you can't get a part time job or something?

Great question! A parent should treat each child equally, regardless of age or circumstances. That is usually much harder to achieve in reality, however, and typically the older child is seen as "the responsible one" while the younger sibling gets away with murder. First, thank your lucky stars that you weren't a middle child!! My suggestion is to agree with them, that you do need a better – and better paying – job, but that you need additional time to find one. It's a tough economy right now, with many adults working in the positions once held by teens because there ARE no jobs. Wouldn't it be irresponsible of you to simply quit your source of income because 1. you would then be more of a financial burden on your parents, and 2. it will send the wrong message to your brother. I'm sure your little brother is only thinking of himself, selflessness is gained slowly over many years, but to see you quitting AND simply giving him your job is going to create a monster in him your parents will have to deal with later on.
~EGM

Tell them you are willing to give it up when you find another job. They are being unreasonable, but combat it with reason. ;)

Better yet don't pay anything to them. Be on strike. Sleep outside if you have too to prove a point. On the roof, in the yard, so they can get a glimpse on what you can turn out to be if they force you to quit your job.

Tell them that by not allowing you to keep the job, then they don't get any money. Period.

Otherwise do what Squancy suggested above.

And I know how you feel.

• I have a younger sister.
• I was forced to pay for my own stuff at 13, but my sister wasn't.
• I started doing housework and got $10 a week, but so did my sister.
• Life sucks.

But thankfully they don't force me to quit my job (soccer refereeing) :)

From: Nava2
Tell them you are willing to give it up when you find another job. They are being unreasonable, but combat it with reason. ;)

good and bad news
i tried what you said
bad news first

she said i better find another job soon because she is thinking of upping my house keeping because apparently i use more electricity than anyone else (which is just crap)

good news

she said that i could do the above and told my little brother, he then said that he doesnt want it if he has to wait for it

so i get to keep the job, but now my mum wants to up it from £10 to whatever, which doesnt really help when i dont get my EMA

~shut

From: Shuttleu
good and bad news
i tried what you said
bad news first

she said i better find another job soon because she is thinking of upping my house keeping because apparently i use more electricity than anyone else (which is just crap)

good news

she said that i could do the above and told my little brother, he then said that he doesnt want it if he has to wait for it

so i get to keep the job, but now my mum wants to up it from £10 to whatever, which doesnt really help when i dont get my EMA

~shut

Don't your parents care about you? :S

TBH, if I were in your place, i'd have a nice long chat and I wouldn't let them leave the spot they're sitting on until they see my side of story. If they still aren't doing anything, then I'd just treat them the same as they treat you. I'd also refuse to communicate with them in any form for some time.

I'm the oldest brother out of 3, and my wife is the oldest sister in her family. The oldest always gets the short end of the stick (gets screwed), just get used to it and go on with life. :)

It's unfair. I agree with that.
But you're 16, shouldn't you be able to get a better job than a 10-pound paper round a week? :p When I was sixteen I made 50 euro a week in a supermarket over here and I still work there.
Just find something better (paper rounds suck imo) then give your paper round to your little brother.

yea, it does suck, but its nearly impossible for me to get a job around here because they are all taken by older more experienced people (im talking people in their mid 20's)

~shut

Those are more expensive ;) Just try and see what you can get.