I tax my daughter's £3 a week pocket money - she is 7 but it's her house too

A mum has explained why she " taxes " her seven year old daughter's pocket money - and says her two younger kids will soon start forking out too. Phoebe Lee, 35, has established what she describes as a "mini democracy" within her home in Twickenham, where her young children cast votes on certain household choices and contribute small portions of their pocket money into a shared family fund.

Phoebe lives with her husband Alex and their three children, aged seven, four and two. While the couple foot the bill for all major household expenses, she says the aim is to give their children a sense of ownership, responsibility and an understanding of how public systems operate.

The AI architect and founder of Inherit Health , said: "I am aware there are so many decisions that are made for our kids, and they have a lot of agencies in a lot of areas, and we try to give them control when we can. While Alex and I pay for everything, this is their house too - we want them to feel like they can make decisions in their home."

The system kicked off with straightforward voting exercises at home, sparked by Phoebe's passion for ethical technology and her husband's background as a public servant. She explained that they were keen to introduce concepts such as contribution, community responsibility and decision-making in a manner suited to their ages.

She said: "Being in ethical tech - I want them to learn a lesson. My husband is a public servant and we wanted them to feel that community contribution. We encourage the children to understand where money goes, including donations and public services .

"We handle donations and make sure we donate time or second-hand bits, or my daughter sells bracelets." At the heart of the approach is what the family playfully dubs a "fun tax", where both parents and youngsters chip in modest weekly sums into a communal kitty used for optional extras like treats or larger household purchases.

Her seven year old currently puts in roughly 20p a week from her pocket money, with her four and two year old set to join once they're old enough for some cash as well. She explained: "She gets £3 a week in pocket money and £1 goes into savings. Then she can make other money from chores, but we are very strict on what they are.

"We haven't got much in the pot yet, but we are hoping to increase our side and have around £300 by December. The contribution is symbolic rather than financially significant - my husband and I are paying far larger amounts into the same system.

"It's supposed to be fun tax - we are not making them pay the Wi-Fi or the rent." She revealed her and her husband each put in approximately £4 a week, with intentions to boost adult contributions as the scheme develops, while maintaining the children's amounts steady as an educational device.

She added: "The tax is about everyone. She will feel like she has contributed, even though it's much less than us. There's something in that where she feels like she's paid for it too."

Phoebe explains the goal is to instil lessons about budgeting and delayed gratification, while demonstrating how collective decision-making operates in the real world .