Money, money, money

Tate is obsessed with money right now.  Obsessed.  He has some birthday money in his wallet and some change in his room and he always has it out and is counting it over and over, as if the total might change.  For his birthday, he got a $2 bill from grandma and papa, and then my sister gave him some dollar and half dollar coins, so he likes collecting all kinds of money.  When I had the garage sale and had a whole lot of cash from it, he kept looking at it and counting that too.

When he comes to the store with me and we are checking out, he has a million questions about the price, how credit cards work, how come I didn't pay with cash and so forth.  For a long while he thought since I was paying with a credit card, then I didn't really have to spend any money (that is how it works, right?).  I had to explain to him why I pay with a credit card and how we still have to pay for it. 

We are having talk after talk about money and how it is ok to have money and to even enjoy it, but how you can't love it or have it rule your life.  We talk about saving and giving and spending and working to earn money.  Sometimes I have to tell him that I don't want to hear another word about money!

But, a realization and a breakthrough came the other day.  We were out running errands and he had his money with him (of course) and wanted to spend some of his birthday money.  I said that was fine and he bought himself a survival bracelet.  Then we were at the next store and he saw some sunglasses that he liked.  I said he would have to spend his own money if he wanted them.  He thought about it for awhile and said if he had to spend his own money on it, then he was going to wait to see if he really wanted them.  Yes!  Finally, he is starting to get it!  Rarely do I ever get the kids anything at the store when they are with me, and they are good about shopping and not expecting anything.  And Tate hardly ever comes with me anyway, but in the summer has to tag along a lot more.  And if they do ask for something, I have no trouble saying no!

I think the idea about money has changed since I was a kid.  Now, everyone has everything right now and they are bombarded with pictures and advertisements all the time.  We purposefully don't get them things that everyone else has just because they don't need it.  Hopefully, his obsession will decrease over time.  I think he is just starting to understand the concept of it and that is why he is so obsessed.  Now he talks about saving his money for a motorcycle when he gets older!  Better start saving!