Get Organized Pittsburgh

As a child I if my mom did not want to buy me something she would simply say, “We can’t afford that” and usually there would be no conflict. But often the object of my desire was something small like a cookie and I often wondered how we could have such a nice home and not be able to afford these little things! it unnecessarily instilled a sense of “deprivation” because truly the phrase was used to avoid discussion rather than to portray an accurate picture of our finances!

As an adult I committed to never say “we can’t afford that” to my children. I want to instill the idea that we have “enough” but “choose” not to purchase items based on our needs and desires. I feel this models a responsible attitude about money and prioritizing in a way that is empowering to kids. I prefer to simply say that I do not want to purchase an item or that I don’t want to spend my money that way. Yes, this puts the bull’s-eye squarely on my forehead for deciding against a purchase they are drooling over, but the long term gain is worth the short term frustration. My kids can walk through life with the feeling that there is “enough” and that they are in control.

I do not believe that our children need to be burdened with financial knowledge that they are not ready to process completely. They should have a general idea of what it takes to run a household and how banking and bill paying works, but they should not be informed about this in a negative way. Family financials should be shared to illustrate a point or to give them an ideas of how money flows through your home. This should not be a negative exercise, but rather a life lesson that they can build on!