When your kid asks, are you "middle class," "upper-middle," something else?

[Anonymous]

My kid asked me this the other day.

I don't particularly like such labels, and have done my best to deflect answering. Although the question did get me thinking what the answer would be. Is this something that HHI can help determine, and if so, what are the lines of demarcation? Is it education? WASPiness or lack thereof?

Where do you put yourself, and on what basis?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

...most people say middle. You could say "professional" if you are one. Doctor, lawyer, etc

[Anonymous]

This is a tough one. I say we are fortunate rather than put class labels on it.

[Anonymous]

I tell him we are working class because we work very hard for what we have and that is all that matter.

[Anonymous]

Working class is very specific. I would not say that unless you are. If you are, you know what I mean.

[Anonymous]

I tell them that their parent's income and thus, "social class" is none of their business. All they need to know is that they have more than they need and going to school and discussing finances, social class, etc. is inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

If your household income is 250K or above, doesn't that put you in the "upper middle" class?

[Anonymous]

Tell them that in DC you are a few notches further down than you would be almost anywhere else in the country.

[Anonymous]

If my kid, a stickler for details, asked me that question, I'd spend a long time explaining class structure to him. Because he's weird like that. A lot of this is age-dependent, too. My answer would be far different for a 7 year old than it would be for a 12 year old. I think it's fine, and actually important, to emphasize you don't like labels. But your child still might want an explanation of why people talk about this so much and what it means.

[Anonymous]

We are neither poor nor rich. We are somewhere in the middle but pretty high end of the middle. We have about a B in the middle class. We would be referred to "upper-middle class".

[Anonymous]

I tell my kids we are rich.

We have enough money to have a warm, comfortable house, put food on the table and clothes on our back. We are able to save money, and if an emergency comes up we don't have to choose between food to eat or a repairing a car so we can get to work.

We are able to go on vacation now and then, eat out a few times a month, and buy a new toy occassionally.

We can help our less fortunate family members out in a pinch, and can give freely to those who need a little boost.

I grew up poor to lower middle class, and I know that I live a blessed life.

PS, by dcum standards, we would be considered middle class, with one of those "how on earth can you afford to live in this city" incomes.

Once you have enough to pay the bills, it is all in your perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If my kid, a stickler for details, asked me that question, I'd spend a long time explaining class structure to him. Because he's weird like that. A lot of this is age-dependent, too. My answer would be far different for a 7 year old than it would be for a 12 year old. I think it's fine, and actually important, to emphasize you don't like labels. But your child still might want an explanation of why people talk about this so much and what it means.

That is so funny. I just deleted 1/2 of my answer because the subject came about due to a history class. He is 12 too and weird like that. So we discussed Caste system and the founding of the USA, etc.

I also said to him people for some reason love labels so our label is "upper middle class".

[Anonymous]

How old are your children? Can't imagine a kid asking this.

[Anonymous]

"Your mother and I are rich. You have nothing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rO35dhxNjYI

Or, more helpfully, this interactive graphic from the NYTimes may help you (go to the components of class tab)
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_03.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tell him we are working class because we work very hard for what we have and that is all that matter.

This is asinine and an insult to the actual working class.