Most kids have a lot these days, don’t they?
My own parents sort of marvel at the toys that their grandkids get, not just as a special treat on birthdays and at Christmas, but during the year here and there too.
They balk at the idea that they get so many sweet things, daily ‘treats’ when in their own day, kids had to wait until Saturday or Sunday to get to the sweet shop, and had looked forward to the visit all week.
With all of today’s conveniences; cheap treats and toys available at almost every supermarket checkout, it’s no wonder that modern day parents can be accused of spoiling their kids.
My partner and I are conscious that he and I have both been working since we were teenagers, and have worked hard to be in a position where we can have kids to spoil, but only to a degree.
We want to raise children who will have a healthy respect for money, to understand it’s worth and as they get older, encourage them to earn part of the money it will take to buy the things they need.
And that’s just us normal, middle-of-the-road earners that I’m talking about, the ones with a few extra quid to spare.
So what of the celebs, the rich people, the big earners? With all their millions in the bank, how do they hold back on lavish gifts and saying to their kids, ‘It’s cool, you don’t have to work, we have you covered’?
Sir Elton John and David Furnish recently surprised a lot of us when they told The Mirror that they wouldn’t leave all of their collective fortune to sons Zachary and Elijah.
Sir Elton is worth an estimated €279 million (swoon!), but his partner David says that confidence and self-worth comes from working hard for your own money;
“The greatest joys, everything Elton and I have created, have come from hard work and that’s where your self-esteem comes from.”
Elton says they won’t exactly be leaving them destitute, but they would like to think that the boys will grow up with some sense when it comes to money;
“Of course I want to leave my boys in a very sound financial state but it’s terrible to give kids a silver spoon, it ruins their life.”
While I’m pretty sure that Sir Elton and David will be leaving their kids with far more security than my own kids could ever imagine, I do like the message that they are trying to send.
What will you do to teach your kids about the value of money?
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(Feature pic via Getty Images)
