A few months ago we took most of the cell phone features away. This would include downloads, ring ton
es, text messaging, sending photos, etc... My 17 year old actually now has a cell phone to talk to people. No distractions in class, work, or driving: photos sent to her phone or the pressure of knowing her friends sent a text message and if she does not reply ASAP she is a loser, even at 1 am...
I know what it was like to be a teenager and now more then ever there are so many useless distractions in life. This includes useless expenses that add up. Five dollars a month here, Ten dollars a month there.
As Americans I read our debt ratio is the highest in the world. If we can't afford it, we put it on a credit card knowing we can't pay it off in a month. I wonder what I am teaching my kids and if my oldest really gets it. She is almost 18 years old and if I compare her life to mine as a kid, she really has no concept of struggling for "things". Not that we spoil her, by all means we are attempting to teach her how to budget by giving her an allowance and clothing budget each year. This has help a lot. Each school year she gets a set dollar amount and if she decides to spend it all on 2 outfits, then that's all the clothes she gets for the year. I notice her "need" for expensive/trendy clothes is less of a "need" now. I am proud of her, she works part time, paid for half her car, and is responsible for car repairs and some gas. She is also a great student. But, all the classes, they really never discuss checking accounts, investments, or debt and though we discuss it with her, we are her parents, and you know what that means....
She approach me and her mom on different occasions explaining not having text messaging has been a dent in her social life. I laughed it off and did not attempt to put it into perspective, but I recall a few dents in my social life as well. But, they were things like:
- Could not afford expenses of prom, so I avoided it
- Wore sneakers with tape around the sole
- Glasses broken, so my choice was to wear them with tape or not at all
- Many times not having a ride home from football & walking several miles or thumbing it
- Fighting over the last bit of milk and watching it spill on the floor, so no one got it.
- Having to show the cafeteria lady my "FREE Lunch card" in front of all my friends
- My lazy eye was real attractive when I was tired or had to take my glasses off in gym
- Ahhh, College... I was poor, worked and went to school the whole time including summers. There were no spring break trips or "discovery" overseas. I graduated in 1991 and in 2007 finally paid off my student loans
I don't want my kids to go through many of the things I did, but I still want them to struggle, to have to work, set goals, and sometime fight for their wants and dreams. I think it made me a good person and can only hope my kids will grow up and be better then me.
1 comment:
James I throughly enjoyed your comments and perspective on debt. We too are attempting to instill postive Godly values concerning our possessions and money into our children. It really does help when you as a parent live it as well. It was great to know there is someone else in this world who has only a basic cell phone. We do not have all those features either opting out when we bought our new phones. The salesperson could not understand why we were doing it. It is great to read your blogs and view your pictures. We miss you guys. I wish we could have seen you when you were here in Florida.
Love, Aunt Kathy
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