I have a daughter and two sons, leaving me forever baffled by how three very distinct individuals could have sprung from the loins of the same two people. Take money, for instance. Two of my kids are savers and one is a spender. In fact, if the spender were down to his last quarter and saw a gumball machine, he’d be flat busted broke before you could say "Rain-Blo"
Anyway, I’m different from most folks in that I don’t mind having kids who constantly want things. Truth be told, I kind of like it. A kid who wants something that requires money is the first to clean the bathroom for a buck. What I can’t stand are kids who want something for nothing. They've got to be willing to work for it. I'm a nice person, but why should I have to shell out my dough to feed someone else’s iTunes obsession?
Sure, my kids get birthday and Christmas presents. New school clothes? Not a problem. They get special treats on other occasions, but many of their wants go unmet. That is, of course, unless they buy it themselves. Gotta love that motivation. There’s nothing like seeing your kid work hard to earn something that they want.
Just this week, one of my savers finally salted away enough money to buy something they really wanted. I won’t say how much it was. Just know it took them over a year, so we’re talking major bucks. Would I have spent that much for the item in question? Honestly, no I wouldn't. But it’s wasn’t my money. They'd earned it themselves. They had the right to spend it.
I guess what I’m saying is that, in my book, you shouldn’t feel greedy if you really want something you don’t need, even if it’s really expensive. Just make sure you’re willing to do the work to get it. And make sure you’re willing to do without the other things that same money could buy. That’s what adults do and the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be.
That's it. Now go wash the windows or something.
Anyway, I’m different from most folks in that I don’t mind having kids who constantly want things. Truth be told, I kind of like it. A kid who wants something that requires money is the first to clean the bathroom for a buck. What I can’t stand are kids who want something for nothing. They've got to be willing to work for it. I'm a nice person, but why should I have to shell out my dough to feed someone else’s iTunes obsession?
Sure, my kids get birthday and Christmas presents. New school clothes? Not a problem. They get special treats on other occasions, but many of their wants go unmet. That is, of course, unless they buy it themselves. Gotta love that motivation. There’s nothing like seeing your kid work hard to earn something that they want.
Just this week, one of my savers finally salted away enough money to buy something they really wanted. I won’t say how much it was. Just know it took them over a year, so we’re talking major bucks. Would I have spent that much for the item in question? Honestly, no I wouldn't. But it’s wasn’t my money. They'd earned it themselves. They had the right to spend it.
I guess what I’m saying is that, in my book, you shouldn’t feel greedy if you really want something you don’t need, even if it’s really expensive. Just make sure you’re willing to do the work to get it. And make sure you’re willing to do without the other things that same money could buy. That’s what adults do and the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be.
That's it. Now go wash the windows or something.
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