How do you do this with children who are used to no money worries?

Little_Mama

cleggie wrote: »

He is better than me though, he still has £22 left from the £70 he had on his birthday just after xmas!

Hi Cleggie,

I have children of a similar age who, like you, have b'day & xmas money still sat in their piggy banks. When they wanted something Father Xmas 'forgot' to bring them (try a 3 figure sum present!!!) in addition to their main present, I suggested they use their own money, club together and buy it themselves, funnily enough it didn't become the 'must have' it initially was.

I always suggest to both of mine that they are more than welcome to buy it themselves, and they tend not to 'want' it so much.

Good luck with them, you'll be surprised at just how much they understand when you are making cutbacks.

Totally agree with the others on here, it's all about the time spent with them, that's what makes the memories.

LM

cleggie

Hi Everyone.

Again, a massive thanks to you all. I am loving this thread. It makes me realise that actually, i am NOT giving my children a deprived childhood, as we already have loads more things than i did as a child, but also, TIME is what matters, not Money!

Today we are being lazy at home, and have nothing planned, expept for having home made pizzas to make for dinner, cheap as i already had all the ingrediants, and fun because the kids get to top them with whatever they like!

You have all made my day, thank you all so much!

Gammbit- i LOVE your post, and you are so right, the kids will remember the FUN times, the times when i have to use my imagination to ensure they have fun, and THATS what matters!

gambit27

Yip, definately cleggie! And Devon is a lovely part of the UK to be in for day trips, we used to have family down there that we visited. Your kids won't even know there's a problem with money once you get into the swing of things

Naomim

cleggie wrote: »

Just wanted to say thanks to you all.
Me and the kids have just spent over an hour in their bedroom with paper aeroplanes having a whale of a time!!
Fun doesnt have to cost money!

We are also having a wii night tonight, battling each other. Should be fun!

Brilliant, my DS loves playing the wii so a wii night might be a good thing for us to do too.

Do they have scooters or bikes as a good ride to a playground is fun and exercise too. DS and his friend rode their scooters along the towpath yesterday. Loads of fresh air!

Make use of the local library too, often a lot of very cheap or free activities going on.

My DS is only 5 but I do try and explain that we have to save up for things and if there is something he REALLY wants to put it on his birthday or Christmas list.

Naomi x

Sharon87

I remember going shopping with my parents, I knew they didn't have much money, so use to walk to Aldi and help them, I use to use my pocket money in their for sweets, as it was much cheaper than the local shop as well!

When I was about 15 my parents split up, and me and my mum was a bit skint, so I always use to help with food shopping keeping an eye out for bargains. She also gave me the child benefit for me to keep and said if I need any clothes/toiletries I'm to buy them with that money. Good to do if your kids are older, teaches them how to budget. I saved up for my own prom dress and the transport there too.

melwright

I agree with the feelings of the other posters, it's the time kids remember not the things.
Half term can be a bit of a 'challenge' when money is tight or non existent! But a slight bit of creativity (as per the other posts) goes miles.
So far this week, we have dusted off all the remaining Xmas gifts that are still in boxes - we are over run with chemistry, magic and plaster of paris sets! The boys faces lit up when I got them out from the top cupboard as they had completely forgotten about them. This is my cunning plan every Xmas, to put a couple of 'doing/activity' things aside ready for Feb half term, especially as the weather can be too dodgy to go out and they never miss them from the piles of other items.

Another thing we do a couple of times a year is to go through all their toys and games and give them a box to put all the old stuff in. This takes about a day for them to do as they spend hours debating whether to keep something or not and then leave the box open in the lounge and this takes up the next day with them playing with all the old stuff before it goes to charity!

One of their favourite games is for me to say a colour and they have to go and find something in the house that is that colour (and find a different thing each), they race round the house giggling and you can 'play' even while having a cuppa. They are always so proud when they find the right colour and love the hugs and praise for doing it! You can make this more advanced by finding x number of things that are green or whatever.

Lastly, chalk (!), buy a pack of chalk and let them write/draw/be creative in the garden on a wall or floor. They think they're being rebelious, but washes off in the rain and no lasting damage.

Sorry am waffling!

gambit27

Another idea for school holidays, this is something I do regularly in school holidays, rope in your kids friends parents, you have their kids over to play (sleepover is even better if you can manage it!) I usually do end of week as I work Mon - Wed, so I'll have their friends on the Thursday night, the friends will have my 2 on maybe the Mon or Tues, so works out well for childcare too, 2 birds with one stone! It's funny how their toys/games are boring till their friend pulls it out to play with!

One more thing we do a LOT is play cards, go fish, switch, pontoons and scabby queen are favourites, but we've started playing poker too. My cousin usually comes over on a Saturday night, so we put out bowls of crisps, is it me or does it always seem more special to have them in a bowl? lol, sweets, and drinks, and we can end up playing for hours at times, great fun, AND they're doing maths at the same time. This is usually when I get filled in on all the school gossip, who's going out with who, and who's been dumped or 2 timed from the older one lately, which is nice as it keeps us close

mrso2b

What a fab thread and some great ideas there too. will have to keep this in mind when I have my own kids.

YORKSHIRELASS

My kids know money is tight at the moment and I have told them that we wont be doing anything too expensive this half term. I try not to say too much as I feel they dont need to know all the details.

Had to take them into town today as I needed to get some shopping and go to the bank. They have been so good that I decided to surprise them with a trip to a nice tea shop for a fizzy drink and a cake. We got sat down with the menu and DS looked really worried, "are you sure we can afford this Mum?" he said. He then dug about in his pocket for a fiver of his own money and offered to pay.

I didnt know whether to be upset that he is obviously so aware of our money situation, or touched that he wanted to help. I told him it was a lovely gesture and he was very thoughtful, but it was my treat and I could afford it.

I still feel a bit strange about it. I want my kids to be aware that we arent loaded, but dont want them worrying either. I grew up in a household where money was always short and I actually think it made me want more material things when I was older, but that probably says something about me and my personality!

gambit27

I agree with you Yorkshirelass, I think growing up with the bare minimum made me want more for my kids, but now I see that's not what they actually need, and they seem to be doing the opposite, and save hard for things they really want. My parent's never said you can't have this as we're skint, whereas I do sometimes say, I don't really have the money for that, but we can get it at the end of the month.

I also think my generation was encouraged to get 'a' job, anything that paid, and so I left school at 16, got a job, and now at 32 I'm working part time, and p/t studying to be a teacher, so I can get a better job and stop worrying about money as much, and also for job satisfaction, but I wish I'd done it back then. I'm encouraging my kids, as I think a lot of parents now are, to study hard and go to college or uni so they don't ever need to be in a situation where they need to take on credit. School's now are getting bank's in to speak to kids about debt, finances and how to budget, so I see my kids watching what I spend at the supermarket which is good. But there is times when they'll say, Mum, you don't have any money, how will you afford this or that, which I really don't like, but I suppose it's better than thinking money grows on trees.