Radio Commentary
How can parents draw the line for
their children in our materialistic culture, and teach them the values of
thrift and common sense?
There are
several good approaches.
One mother
makes her children use their own money from allowance or chores, to buy the
toys or goods they pressure her to buy.
She said: “I find my children don’t always want it if
they have to pay for it.”
Another
good idea is to involve children at an early age in family charitable
acts.
When it
comes to school items, it sometimes helps to set a budget and let children get
whatever they want within that budget.
Even if
they would rather have one pair of jeans with a big brand-name label and stick
with their frayed tee-shirts, they’re learning to make choices about what money
can buy.
It’s also
important that parents be flexible.
Maybe you can give in to your children on one less expensive fashion
items--such as pencils that look like they’re made out of denim, which cost a
little more than the basic No. 2 variety of pencil.
But in return, you could stick to your guns if
you are being begged for fancy shoes.
There are
no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to teaching values.
The best advice, always, is to live
by the values you want your children to have.
