Friday, April 25, 2014

Advice Needed: My Daughter Feels Like We Are Poor.

Last week my seven-year old daughter told me that we are poor. I asked her why she felt that way and she said,"Because we can't buy all the toys I want."

Frankly, I was shocked at the comment. My husband has a very good job and makes a very good salary. However, we happen to live in one of the most expensive parts of the United States and while our property taxes aren't the highest in the nation, they are very close. Because of the high cost of living in our area, we have enough for all our needs but very little for our wants. I talk to my kids about budgeting. I am not the kind of mom that buys her kids stuff all the time.

I talked to her about what being poor really means and reminded her of an experience we had in Egypt. We visited Garbage Mountain, a place where the poorest people in Cairo live. The garbage is sent to this place and these people sort through the garbage and eek a living out of it. We went there while they were having a religious festival. I was stunned at the happy attitude of the children living there. You can read more about Garbage Mountain here.

This morning, my daughter made a comment to me again about how she wanted her dad to make more money. I realized that something is going on in her little mind about money and how she perceives it.

Here are my questions:

How do you teach your kids about money and budgeting?
How do you talk to your kids about poverty and wealth?
How do you promote gratitude about what you have?

I would love to read what you think, so PLEASE comment!

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