Kids seem to want it all these days, and I say that out of pure honesty. Perhaps they just don’t know any different.
As a parent of 4 .. I get tired of hearing the conversation between my kids and their cousins when they get together…
“My Mom took me to Toys R Us & I got a NEW LEGO Set.”
“I got a NEW video game, and I have it in my OWN room. Plus I have a TV in my room, too.”
And so it starts…
This mom won’t do TV’s in bedrooms – I guess we’re old school? I don’t recall having one in there as a child either. We do have game systems, but they are on a timer – there are 24 hours in a day, and my children get “1” hour on screens, so they have to pick what screen they wish to spend that time.
After that hour, screens go off, and they are forced to be creative.
There is little you can do to control those who aren’t your own children; but you can make an impression on your own. That happiness doesn’t come from purchases but from time spent with others, from within, from experiences.
Of course, we know that – but are we really trying to help our children understand that?
Overall, parents spend 66% more on child rearing than they did 10 years ago – that’s due in part to rising child care and education costs. But aside from that, parents in general just spend more across the board. I saw this the last time I was in Target – which was December of 2015 (haven’t been back since!)
Christmas gifts were out in full force.
And so were the persistent children. “Mom! I WANT this.” … and “Mom! I NEED this. BUY ME THIS.”
I went in to see if something was available, never used a basket or cart, and simply got so disgusted I left empty handed – which is pretty normal for me when going there and I just might be the only person that can walk in and out of Target empty handed these days.
The desire to give our kids everything is ingrained in our mind ~ we want to provide more for our kids than what may have been provided for us. So we reason our purchases as our way of providing them a higher standard of living in efforts to make them happy.
But most of the purchases are associated with our status as parents than our desire to truly make a better life for them. It’s all about who can do better, provide more… in the end, is overspending on them really truly necessary? Helpful?
Here are SIX ways we tend to overspend on our children:
Birthday Parties
We’re talking about over the top birthdays – your little one doesn’t need 3-4 parties – in fact, they don’t need you to dump $200 -$ 300 on a birthday party at the Jump House, or the Zoo…. or, the Fun Park.
Pick one place, pick a handful of people, keep it simple, and you will discover that your child will be just as happy. When they are content, they won’t want anything — if you make a habit of spending oodles of money, then they will expect that.
Brand Name Clothes (+ TOO MANY Clothes)
Kids grow too fast to spend too much on clothing – shop for used clothing va consignment, use hand me downs, and forget brand name apparel. Kids don’t need brand name items… they are small enough to look cute in anything.
Keep their wardrobe simple – a few pants, a few tees, and the normal socks and underwear is really enough for them. Unless you plan on avoiding laundry for 2 weeks, they really don’t need a mountain of clothes.
Movie Tickets
Taking our kids to the movies ended quite a while ago – combine expensive movie tickets with over-priced food and not-so-good for you soda, and you have easily spent $40 – $50 if not more.
If you want to head to the theaters, find a dollar theater, or head there on dollar night (for us in Mesa it’s on Tuesdays) — you’ll save HUGE, and some places may even allow you to bring in your own snacks.
Going Out to Eat
The cost of going out to eat at any restaurant is ridiculous – combined with kids it’s even worse. Not to mention, their eyes are always bigger than their stomach. If you absolutely have to eat out, then make them food before you leave, and they can share a drink and snack while they are there.
OR, even better, cook at home – and avoid the restaurant bill altogether.
Games & More Games
Kids right now are too attached to screens as it is – whether the iPad, iPhone, Android Apps, Computer, or even Kindle. Montior one and they switch to the other… and even worse, those games make them moody and depressed.
Not only does it limit their creativity .. it creates boredom – some children are so bad they don’t want to leave the room or house without their games. Don’t buy them ANY electronics – inspire them to find their own creative outlet aside from games.