Allowances should be given on the basis of each family’s affordability and unique situation. Children need to understand that they cannot have things that their friends have because their friends may belong to richer families or to families that believe in giving children more money /more worldly goods than necessary. This may well be your child’s first lesson of the realities of life. If they are old enough to understand, try explaining to your child that they do not need more allowance as other things are provided for by you and more allowance would be wasteful. If they are comparing their allowances to friends who are from richer families, explain to them that this is all you can afford to give them. And when they reach an appropriate age they can supplement their allowance by taking up part-time jobs.