My kids want it all

Question: How do I convince my kids that they don’t need to have everything that their friends have?

Answer: This is a tough issue to work through. The younger you start to train your children, the easier it will be as they get older. First, remember that you can’t expect attitudes or behaviors from your kids that you aren’t willing to model.

Our culture puts so much pressure on us to conform to trends that being different can be difficult. Here’s how we’ve dealt with it in our family.

Just say no. Sometimes we just lay down the law. No TV’s or computers in the kids bedrooms. We don’t care what other families do, we just won’t do it.

Show them a better way.  Sometimes we show them how they can get the brand name clothing or electronic gizmos for a fraction of what their friends are paying through careful researching and buying gently used items.

Yes, it takes an investment of time on a parent’s part, but the more we teach our kids how to shop, and the more we show them how to manage their own money, the more successful they’ll be. Nothing brings greater satisfaction than seeing a kid grow into a financially responsible adult.

If you want a great system for teaching kids to manage their own money, read about how we trained our kids here