Burning A Hole In Their Pockets...

I'm Proud Of My Kids...

Do you remember that time when you got a $5 or $10 bill on your birthday or Christmas and you just couldn't wait to spend it? I'm thinking about this kind of memory as how it affect a child, but I suppose the same can be said for us adults.

It just so happened that my kids had a set amount of plastic cash in their pockets and tonight I took them to the store. I thought it might take a little while for them to find what they wanted. Of course, the amount they had wasn't overwhelming so they couldn't buy whatever they wanted, but it was enough to buy somethings...some of things they usually want.

I did a little shopping then went to see how the kids were doing. None of them had chosen anything to buy. We meandered around the toy section (and the clothes section with my daughter...) but after a little while, we were still without anything chosen. It came to the point where we needed to go home so I told them they had only a few minutes left to choose. To my surprise, they didn't choose anything because there was nothing that they wanted (with their limited budget). The money did not burn holes in their pockets on this night.

What surprised me the most is that this usually doesn't happen. Usually they'll pick something--anything--because they could and they're usually disappointed when they get it home. I hope, I hope they realize that saving now for something they really want later can be worth it. Now, if I could only show that same kind of restraint myself...