A few weeks ago, we had some new neighbors come over for a visit with their children. The kids are all about the same ages and number as our own, and they had a great time playing together as the adults chatted about the neighborhood.
As we showed the neighbors around our home, we passed through the family room on the way to our outdoor porch. One of the children told one of my children, “My TV is bigger than yours.” Now, I’m sure that the child meant no harm by that statement, but as a parent, I had to cringe a little bit. Did my kids feel deprived? I needn’t have worried. My son turned back to the neighbor and said excitedly, “We get Cyberchase!” Cyberchase is an educational PBS show that he occasional gets to watch. To him, that show was proof that he had all that he needed.
Here are some ways that you can help your frugal children from feeling deprived.
Involve them in your financial goals
We try to reinforce the fact that many things in life cost money, and that we make decisions about where to spend our resources. If we want something, then something else can’t be purchased. Saving for a dream vacation, for example, means giving up eating out twice a week, for example.
Teach them consumer decision making
A good example of this happened last weekend when my oldest decided that purchasing a set of knee, wrist and elbow pads for his roller skates with his money was a better investment than a cool toy that would provide less you. We explained the pros and cons to him, and he made the decision. Knowing he had the power to decide helped him get over the fact that he couldn’t have it all.
Expose them to charitable causes
Kids really do think that other kids live exactly as they do or maybe even better than they do. Exposing child to the concept that there are plenty of other kids that have less can help them appreciate their own situation more. This goes beyond the old “Eat your green beans; There are kids starving in xxxx” concept. Older children can volunteer making meals, serving in soup kitchens, gathering school supplies, etc. Younger ones can go through their toys to give to others.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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