Pester power

A third of parents in Scotland say that pester power regularly gets the better of them, according to new research by the Money Advice Service.

Pester power is the ability children have to convince their parents buy something, by asking for something repeatedly, and 16% of parents with children aged two-18 report that they have to deal with this behaviour on a daily basis. Men are more likely than women to experience pestering (63% vs 52%).

When it comes to those products children pester for the most, topping the list are toys and games (47%), while 36% pester for snacks such as sweets, chocolate, crisps and sugary drinks, with video and computer games at 35%. But children also pester for big-ticket items such as tablets, game consoles and holidays.

Although many families are currently feeling the pinch, 38% of parents say they cave into pester power because they feel guilty for not being there for their children all the time. Equally, half say they don’t like being asked the same question over and over again and 34% feel fed up when pestered.

Worryingly, 36% of parents report that caving into pester power has caused them to overstretch their finances and, according to parents, the run up to Christmas is one of the worst times of the year for pester power. The Money Advice Service has found in separate research that teaching parents to talk to their children about money helps children understand why they’re saying no. Giving pocket money improves children’s financial habits, as it provides them with the experience and responsibility to make spending and saving decisions at a young age.

Even giving very small amounts of pocket money is linked to improvements in financial behaviour, suggesting that it is having responsibility for money that is important, not the amount.