The iTunes store, which offers music, movies, TV shows, games, and other goodies for downloading, allows you to set up an allowance for your child -- a monthly deposit made to an iTunes account that your child can spend in the online iTunes Store. If music is highly motivating for your child, an iTunes allowance is a good element to add to a behavior plan. And if you set up an account for your child that uses only the allowance and gift cards for payment, not your credit card, it's a good lesson in money management, too. When the money placed in the account is spent, nothing more can be purchased until the next deposit.
This step-by-step will take you through the process of starting a new iTunes account using an allowance as the payment method. If your child already has an iTunes account, you can still follow along to set up an allowance for that account, but you can skip some steps.
You'll need an iTunes account of your own to arrange the allowance, and that one will need a credit card attached. For help with that, follow the step-by-step on the About.com iPod site. Rather not have an account yourself? Buy iTunes gift cards -- available at many brick-and-mortar merchants, including The Apple Store and Target -- to serve as your child's allowance, and use my step-by-step for starting an account with gift cards.
Now, log into the iTunes store using your own account, and you're ready to set things up for your child. (If you don't have iTunes on the computer you're using, download it from the Apple site.)
