As a teen, you may have gradually gained money, whether it is through birthdays, Christmas, or other events/holidays. In my experience as an eighth grader, over the years, I have gained a healthy sum of money through many different ways; but my parents don’t think I’m responsible enough to use that money. I made this list because I want to make something that gives some reasons to help your parents understand why we should be trusted with the money we have gained. If you think this list will help, share it with your parents and you just might get the freedom you were hoping for.

1. Teens Are Mature Enough to Know How to Spend 

The main reason why most teens are not allowed to spend their money is because they are viewed by their parents as little children who are irresponsible and don’t know what’s right for them. They immediately assume that if they gave them the freedom to spend their money, they would use all of their money for buying only the things they want, like candy and in-game purchases instead of buying the things they would need. Parents giving their children a chance to spend their money responsibly would show them they can buy things they would need like buying their own food (not just junk food), buying toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, water, etc. Parents will never know if their children can be responsible with money if they don’t give them the chance to practice.

2. Teens Need to Learn How to Handle Money 

As an eighth grader, the basics of money handling are not taught. We don’t learn the best ways to buy items or how much money to bring when going to a store. If teens are given the freedom to be able to spend their money, they will learn how to do these things. I have many friends who are allowed to spend their own money, and through that, they learned the basics. It’s good that teens learn these important things because in a few years they will be legal adults that will have a job and pay their own expenses but if they don’t learn these skills at a young age they will be thrown into the world without any of the important knowledge about money that is required.

3. Teens Need to Not Rely on Parents 

Some of my friends who can’t spend their own money talk a lot about just giving their mom or dad the money to buy it for them. They spend a lot of their free time relaxing because they don’t worry about buying things they would need for themselves. They don’t cook their own food because they aren’t trusted with large knives, oil, and fire. They slowly became completely reliant on their parents to do everything for them because of the lack of trust and freedom their parents have given them. If a teen becomes reliant on their parents and stays reliant when they become a young adult, when they get a job, they might be lazy while working and rely on co-workers and friends to do most of their work for them.

Always remember that learning how to handle money at a young age will help in the long run of life. This is an important fact you will need to remember whether you are using these ideas to convince your parents or are just sharing this listicle with them. Remember these facts and do some research on how to handle money wisely so that if your parents allow you to spend your own money, they won’t regret it. Some websites I suggest going to are 12 Money Skills Teens Need Before Graduation, 10 Money Management Tips For Teenagers. Good luck! 

This article was written in partnership with Steppingstone.