The Money Stuff

Sometimes, as a parent, you wonder if ANYTHING you are saying is sinking into your kid. Especially one who has to test the limits of everything and question everything. And, then. One day. One day, you are standing in the check out line in IKEA and your kid says something amazing and you start crying because you realize he GETS it. Something clicked! Finally. After wondering and wondering and wondering you realize that the endless talking paid off.

We've been working on money stuff with Sammy, it seems, forever. And nothing seemed to be clicking. He would get money. He would spend money. He would be disappointed over not having money the next instant. We talked and talked about saving for the things he really wanted, to no avail. He had a little money in his wallet, looking forward to going to Target. Our first stop was IKEA and he found a stuffed dog he wanted. We both asked him if he was sure, how much the dog was, blah blah blah. He was insistent. We finished shopping and were standing in the check out line when Sammy took the dog and asked, "So if I buy the dog will that be all my money?". I said yes, he wouldn't have anything left when we went to Target. He looked at the dog and thought. He gave it to me and said, "I should put this back, then".

I'm not going to lie. I totally cried. I wonder and wonder if he's listening and getting things (it seems to take him so long!) and this was the first time it finally clicked. He always acts (age appropriately, I get) that there is an endless stream of money. We both are so paranoid that he not grow up entitled, knowing VERY well that he is growing up with way more than either of us did, and we are trying so hard to curb that. To block it before it happens. And every time he said "we can just buy another. We can just get a new one", I died a little inside that it wasn't working. So Monday, it was lovely. It was confirmation that if you do talk enough, eventually they may actually pick something up.


(fitz and the tantrums - moneygrabber)