What Would Parents Do?
What Would You Do?
I took a screenshot of this from twitter and I had some serious thoughts about it. I didn't think to grab the replies, but I didn't see any who thought the way I did. Here are my thoughts.
Do nothing
Really? Yeah. I saw people commenting about berating or hitting their kids to a positive social response. I think this is completely wrong for a number of reasons. The purpose of an allowance is to give your child the understanding of money and a degree of self-determination. If you punish your kid for not using that freedom in a way you don't like, then it isn't freedom.
I am not saying that there shouldn't some form of punishment for a child who does this either, but rather that the child's actions are the best punishment and I will explain why. The child has screwed himself out of money. He will learn from that mistake when he doesn't have the money he wants. The point of saving to afford what he wants will become apparent. Reprimanding him will only make him afraid of what you will do, and not actually learn why what he did was wrong. If he grows up staying in line because he is afraid of you, that will not help him later in life when you can't control him. If he learns for himself why his actions are wrong, fear of you isn't a factor.
This is indeed interesting.
The problem comes from our view of "US$ are valuable, and i had to work hard for that you little mennace"
What haven't we taught this child?
Well, we see no respect for things given to him/her.
We see no understanding of value for these important pieces of paper.
So, how best to teach this child those things?
I believe your idea is one of the best.
When next at the store, the child says, "Mommy i want this!", and mommy should respond, well, you had some money with which you could have bought that.
exactly my idea. The kid did an idiotic thing that screwed him later down the line. Having to face the consequences of his actions seems like a good punishment. He can't weasel his way out of a situation he created.
I mean most of the people on here would support the child I think, fiat and all.
However, I can't imagine this in my life. To me you can't get an allowance until long after you have established manners so even if the child was unhappy with the amount they would express themselves differently.
That makes perfect sense. By ripping up their own money and living with the consequences, do you think the child would learn a valuable lesson?
yep, they'd learn that I was going to tape the money back together and trade it for crisp bills at a bank!
honestly it's been so long since I was a child it's hard to say what they would learn
I am not a parent,
and yet you give advice about something of which you have zero experience..
not advice, just my perspective. I explain clearly what faults I find with what most people were saying on the issue and gave my own take on it.
I never said this was advice man.