Recently, I did a guest post over at RadicalParenting.com. The blog’s all about parenting, from a teen’s perspective (it has a bunch of guest posts from knowledgeable teens). It was started by Vanessa Van Petten, who was a teen herself when she wrote a parenting book! I’d really recommend checking it out. Here’s a little preview – you can view the rest here!

Schools in, and the time for sleeping until 11 and relaxing all day in one’s pajamas has come to an end. Now your teen wants to be out and about, hanging with friends and being independent and free. But how much does this cost? And does your teen really know? Here are some sure-fire tips that’ll make your teen more money aware this school year (and richer the next).

Before we begin, the entire purpose of this is to generate independence. Give your teen the choices and decisions – you’re not there to control them.

Step One: Secretly Observe

It may seem like spying, but it’s necessary. Keep track of what your teen does! This may  be obvious, but many parents don’t do it, thus missing the chance to help their teen. Find out what they do – if they’re going over to a friend’s house after school, there’s a good chance that:

  1. They’ll buy a $10 dinner
  2. They’ll spend another $5 on snacks
  3. A movie may be in order – a minimum of $5

That’s already $20 for a night with friends! That’s 2 and a half hours of work. The average teen might work 12 hours a week. In one night, they’ve spent almost…

Read the rest here!