You've not really had to pay for much, have you?

morocha

i have taken my 4 yo(almost 5) to South America to live like people in poor countries live for two months- aka my family -
Firstly she did not like it, and every situation was solved with a "it does not matter, my daddy can buy that for you ", even took great delight promising everyone new things because " she is rich, she has a house full of pennies that she gets from daddy's trousers".
Now she knows how lucky she is in comparason.

aliasojo

sooz wrote: »

Children in the uk have little sense of money. Money management at schools is a fairly new (rehashed after previously being scrapped probably) idea.
They see mum & dad with no money in their purse or wallet putting things on cards. Debit & credit is not a concept that crosses their minds. The hole in the wall gives money ( if the goblins inside are in the right mood)
The tv they watch & radio tell them all about new cars for only £100*, instant cash loans, lotteries, competitions to win £50k etc


* terms & conditions apply etc...

I think you have a valid point here. Certainly I had to 're-educate' my daughter after some of the tv ads left her under a false impression a few years back.

We chat about a lot of stuff like this, she doesn't know the ins and outs of our finances but she does get involved with certain financial talks. Paying for utilities, food budgets and the like.

My parents were quite old and had very fixed ideas on what children should be allowed to know. Everything was a secret and hidden, children were never allowed to hear anything about politics or the family budget. I grew up quite ignorant and a tad resentful if I'm honest. (But that's another subject.:D)

I try to be more open (within reason) with my lot. Which is partly why I was a bit surprised at her original comment. :rotfl:

anxious_mum

I have two sons who couldn't be more different when it comes to money. The eldest, 18, who goes to college and works part time, is always pinching my work's mobile phone to make calls 'because it's free', and when he asks for a lift he always says it won't cost anything 'because it's a company car and the fuel is free'. I have told him numerous times that I get taxed pretty heavily for having all these lovely 'free' things.

Then, my youngest, 16, when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, said 'can I have a new mouse please, mine isn't working properly'. Bless.

aliasojo

killerpeaty wrote: »

I apologise for jumping in on this conversation, but my dad also was very very into his kids going to uni. Actually he got upset when we all went to the "wrong" type of uni and refused to speak to my brother for a couple of months for taking the "wrong" kind of degree.

My Father's input into my secondary education was the last straw that severed the very slim relationship we still had at that point.

I was forced to take Russian despite having no interest in it, absolutely loathing the teacher that taught it and the fact I wanted to take an entirely different subject but couldn't because it clashed with the Russian class and the timetable couldn't be changed. I had no say in anything.

My kids genuinely don't know just how good they've got it having me as their Mum. :rotfl:

PenguinOfDeath

As a kid I used to wonder why mum didn't get cashback each time at the supermarket as it was 'free money'

And I remember going to the cash machine and worrying that we only had 200 quid or whatever in the account, I assumed that you got paid all your wages in one go and that's all we had left until the next year! :eek:

anxious_mum

aliasojo wrote: »

I was forced to take Russian :

I took Russian at school too, but I loved it. I wanted to go to Uni to study languages, but my father put paid to that when he left when I was 16, so my mum couldn't afford for me even to go to 6th form. University was completely out of the question, I got a job the day after I left school to help pay the bills.

euronorris

I think most children are naive about this stuff.

I can remember once as a child, I was in the supermarket with my Mum, and I had asked for a few things. The reply was as usual 'No, we can't afford it. You know that.'. Now, having seen my Mum ask for, and receive, cashback a few times at the till before, I thought I was being very smart when I told her 'Well just ask for some cashback from the till then! They've always given you money before!'.

It was only then that my mother explained how cashback actually worked! lol

heretolearn_2

I've always thought cashback must confuse kids no end! Get your shopping by tapping something into a machine PLUS get given money...it was much easier to understand when you saw someone handing over cash to buy stuff.

I remember my Dad had magic trousers with a never ending supply of 50ps in the pocket. Never crossed my mind where they might come from. Presumably I thought my parents went to work for the fun of it.