Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If we had the kind of money that $1000 was a drop in the bucket, and my ds asked me to spend $1000 on a pair of jeans for him, I would reevaluate everything about my life and the example I have set for him.
My thoughts exactly. If my teen asked for a pair of $1,000 jeans, I would feel like I had failed as a parent.
Yeah. Discussions on money in our house are tied to discussion of value. At the beginning of 9tj grade, I sit each kid down and show them their college account statements. What is in there. What we put in each month, and what it will pay for for college (In State easily with no debt). I also explain that if they want private or many OOS public, they need merit aid, which is why grades and SATs are so important. I then review this with kids before senior year, because it guides making their college list.
So I would have no problem saying: most of our extra income is going to college. That is more important to us than expensive jeans. If you need a pair, save birthday money and get a job. But my kids would never ask, because they know we don’t go for excessive materialism. We have different priorities.
We also just say not to a lot of stuff because we would rather spend the money to travel, got to the Kennedy Center, or do a great family activity.