How do you teach your kids about "budget"
I have made no secret here that my eldest totally dislikes my couponing habit. She is a teen so she also doesn't like my blogging habit, picture taking habit or especially the habit of having to have the house cleaned before company comes...but that is neither here nor there.
My question tonight is how do you help your children understand what a budget is? My kids hear about it, we speak all the time how we need to watch the budget, or we have to eat in this weekend so we don't blow the budget. I think that they perceive the budget as a bad thing. This evil piece of paper that keeps them from doing all the fun activities that they used to enjoy....when I worked full time. Now the expensive activities have been replaced with much more quality Mom time, but I'm not thinkin that they are likin the change.
I do build fun money into the budget, but between becoming a SAHM and saving for our upcoming trip to disney, I find myself saying "Its not in the budget" much more than ever before. It is hard for them to understand that a budget is a guide for how we are going to spend our money, not a constriction. How do you help your kids understand that a budget is a good thing?
It is even harder now, since they know I am saving all this money by couponing...in their eyes that money should transfer directly into the "spend more money on the kids" line of the budget. They are not getting the whole "Mama isn't working right now so we need to save and pay off our debt" thing.
I am rambling now, but it is one of the many things that I am in need of direction on in this crazy thing called parenting.
Advice anyone??
Posts
2 comments:
Oh Amy...I am not sure if my advice will help...my kids are a little bit younger so it has been easier. They are learning couponing and budgeting as a lifestyle and as a means at an early age which I think makes it easier.
But ultimately, I think it is good for kids to learn that they can't get "everything" and "every luxury" so just stand by your values and teach them the principle behind what you are doing. Emphasize the positive. How much more you have by sticking to a budget and couponing and that life isn't about getting but giving. I have seen it with my kids. Sure, sometimes they are disappointed when we can't do something b/c it doesn't fit into the budget but reality is...it comes with the territory of life and I think that is good for them to realize!
Your a good mom...no need to question yourself! (you said they are teenagers, right? lol!).
I am forever saying "it isn't in the budget". Ugh. My 11 year old is getting really bad about asking for everything - big stuff too. He wants an Ipod or a phone for his birthday. But usually it is just he wants, wants, wants. The other week he asked if we were poor. No, but geez - he never stops asking. No one could ever satisfy him and he has even taken to wishing he were a billionaire so he could buy all the stuff he wants, etc. So essentially, I have no advice, just sympathy.
Post a Comment