"When my son was younger, I shielded him from the reality of our financial situation. As a lower-income family, he always had everything he needed, and then some, so he didn't seem to notice. But now that he's almost 12, my son's requests for things have outpaced me. I used to be able to find some roundabout way to get him what he wanted, but as a single mother, I can't afford it anymore."
"When my son was only in pre-K, he told me he wanted the bags of Pirate Booty that many of his classmates had at snack time. I bought the comparable and more affordable cheddar puffs from Aldi, put them in a Ziploc bag, and he was happy. He never seemed to know the difference. Other times, he would tell me about more expensive things his classmates had, such as a certain pair of shoes."
As a single mother with limited income, she initially shielded her son from financial strain so he always had what he needed. As he approaches age 12, his requests have become more expensive and beyond the household budget. She used to meet many desires through cheaper alternatives, sales, coupons, and creative substitutions, but those strategies are no longer sufficient. She now tells him "no" more often, which causes emotional difficulty because she wishes she could provide everything yet wants him to value money and focus less on possessions. Recent grocery outings require rejecting most of his requests due to rising prices.
Read at Business Insider
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