How much cash should you give a high school graduating grandson?

How responsible is he? Did he do very well in school? Will he be going to college and need the funds? If yes to all three I’d tend to give in the $200 range. More if the family needed it and I could spare it easily.

Anywhere between $100 and $500 Depending on your ability. More affluent people would opt for a new car. I have read of gifts in the thousands.

First years tuition in university or college.

Depends on what I can afford.

It didn’t occur to me to give my graduating kids money.

@Dutchess_III This is a grandchild.

@LuckyGuy “How responsible is he? Did he do very well in school? Will he be going to college and need the funds? If yes to all three I’d tend to give in the $200 range. More if the family needed it and I could spare it easily.”
He is EXTREMELY responsible, did fine in school, he is going off to college but his parents can easily afford it. We are not close; never have been. In fact, he has rarely spoken to me even on Christmas Day and I’m serving a turkey dinner. I have no memory of him speaking to my husband. His mom, my younger daughter, is my best friend and works 3 jobs even though she doesn’t need to and it would take a lot longer time than I wish to take to say all of the favors and considerations she has shown me.

@Aster Well after that description…..20 bucks

That’s what I got from my grandpas inheritance when I turned 18 at the same time that he died. One year of college paid for. Cost $900

@anniereborn I can’t do that. Her daughter is a Princess, an incredible person in every way imaginable-she is the school mascot, on the A honor roll and a regular church goer. I can’t stiff her when it’s her turn with twenty bucks. I need to treat them equally.

If I could afford it, I would probably give them between $200 and $300 since you want to keep it equal when your granddaughter graduates.

Geez I dunno, I got a lot of 20 dollar gifts. Of course that was 1986, and it wasn’t my grandparents. But dang, no one gave me more than 100 when i got married the first time. Although again, that was a long time ago.

I didn’t get a dime when I graduated. Never thought about it. They just shipped me happily off forty miles away to school. Things are very different now; kids are a lot more spoiled. They get cars a lot. My granddaughter got fresh tulips today from her mother just for tryouts for school mascot . I’ve been told it’s in the bag.

@aster, from what you’ve told us about your grandson, I’d give him a nice card, at most, or nothing at all.

My husband has twin nieces, about to turn age 18, who talk to people only when they want something. If their grandparents walk into the room and say “hello,” these girls will snub them, say nothing, and refuse to make eye contact (unless, of course, they’re hoping for gifts, money, or other favors). They treat all their aunts and uncles the same way. Their mother is a sociopath, and she’s raised her kids in her own image.

I’m curious how your daughter, who sounds lovely, could have raised such a rude child. You think he would have learned kindness just by being around her.

@Love_my_doggie My daughter likes to think he has high functioning Asperger’s. I can’t recall the name but I know she slammed him with so many vaccines as a toddler he swelled up and was walking on his toes. Any vaccine they named he got it. I am shocked he has such a fine human being for a girlfriend; how could this have happened? He wears a hearing aid too but he got a job after school in medical billing so I just don’t understand it. He goes on all the school trips, all the church trips and loves church. He is very talented on guitar and composes his own music and then plays on the organ. He’s fairly attractive; nothing stands out. She makes sure he’s super well groomed and has a terrific Nike wardrobe. But he ignores us. He is going to major in engineering. Go figure. Oh; and his dad, my daughter’s husband, waited fifteen years before coming to our house. You can’t choose your family.

I have never gotten money as a gift! My family just didn’t do that.

@Aster The mother doesn’t slam the kids with vaccines. The doctor prescribes them, and there are a finite number you get at certain times in your life. Is she one of those who imagines their kid has disabilities? My DIL is that way.

I think it totally depends on your financial situation, and the kid, and also I would take into consideration other grandchildren. I think I would plan, or assume, I’m going to give the same amount to every grandchild.

My husband is a huge car guy, so we gave our biggest money gift when our niece and nephew each got their driver’s license. A crazy sum (in my opinion) that I’m sure they remember, and it fits with my husband’s obsession. I think for high school graduation we gave $200, but I’m not sure I remember correctly, it might have been only $100? We give money on their birthdays and Christmas also while they were still in school. But, it’s fine to give $50, or whatever. No one should be counting the pennies. Any amount is appreciated I’m sure.

I don’t think my grandmother gave me any money when I graduated high school. I don’t remember that. She gave me very generous amounts on my birthdays, Chanukah, at my wedding, and she paid for the autotrain when I moved to Florida. I don’t remember high school graduation getting a check. I never thought about it until now.

@JLeslie She suspects, with the backing of a psychologist she spoke with, that her son has Asperger’s. She isn’t sure at all and she has no ideas like that about her daughter.

@Aster I’m confused why the Asperger’s might matter. I went back and skimmed the thread, I’m missing something.

Most people gave me a $100 bill in a card. I got a nice set of jewelry, but most was cash.

Damn! I wish I knew the people you knew!

@Aster First, there is absolutely no connection between vaccines and autism.

Second, the parent does not call the shots when it comes to what vaccines or when. Well, not if they’re smart. So your daughter did not “slam” her son with vaccines.

Enough to cover the door charge and one lap dance. $50–70 ought to do it.

Grandchildren are very special creatures…depending on what you can afford, perhaps you could open an interest-bearing savings account? 1000 is a nice round number…or some stock, or a bond, but a smaller amount is probably wiser if you just expect him to go spend it on things he wants…more information about him could make this easier for people to respond.

^^^ Good idea.