To have and have not

Subject page : Money Matters

While most of us struggle to gain a salary rise much above the rate of inflation our children's weekly pocket money is evidently soaring well above it.

Long gone are the days when kiddies are content with a bag of boiled sweets or a chocolate bar. These items that previously could be used as treats are now an everyday expected item.

Waiting for special events such as birthdays or Christmas to request an expensive item is something now unimaginable. No parent wants to be viewed as mean and I know I often give in to the 'pester power' children tend to have. Now my children are a little older I can see that it is equally important that as parents we teach them the value of doing without.

We need to instill in our children that one's happiness cannot simply be based on possessions. Otherwise when they are out on their own they may not be able to handle the pressures of everyday life. In particular their ability to make wise decisions when they may really want something but haven't got the immediate finance for it.

Even though it's hard to say no to our children's requests, in doing so we are teaching them how to cope when they cannot immediately get what they want. Something I believe is best learned under parental supervision. I became almost fearful when we brought our son a TV for his birthday. The same day he asked for a mobile phone!

Author:  ffig
Added:  25 Jun 2009