Looking for some ideas and suggestions. My daughter has her birthday and Christmas a few weeks after the other, and as such gets a lot of presents pretty much in one go. She also often gets some money and gift cards. She's very lucky, and is very aware of how lucky she has it in that sense.
However, I'm not really sure what to do with the money and vouchers as more toys and things could perhaps too much. When she was younger I used to put some of the money in her savings, some aside for things she needs (clothes, etc), and some for days out, etc. I plan to still do this, but now she's 6 and more aware of the money and gift cards she's received, I feel I should give her a bit to do what she wants with.
Anyone else been in a similar boat? I've had a few ideas: give her a certain amount and let her choose something she didn't get anything of this year (maybe give her some ideas); choose something to add to the collections of toys she already has (LOL, sylvanian familes, etc, and encourage building on what she's got); give her a certain amount and encourage her to spend wisely, and let her know that she can save it up for something instead, or stagger her spending out; hold on to it for a while (until the summer perhaps when the novelty of her new toys are wearing off) and let her have it then.
I know this is totally a first world problem, but I would love to hear people's thoughts. She's an only child with a ginormous family, so I'm always careful as to not let her become spoilt. Or should I just chill out and let her do whatever?
I think perhaps chill out and let her do what she would like within reason?
Encouraging her to save or wait until later in the year when she really wants something sounds like a sensible plan that will also teach her the value of money.
I agree with Yoda, she should have some say in what she does with it, but it’s good to encourage her to save too.
Perhaps you could also encourage her to think about others that have very little, by sorting through her toys with her and taking some to the charity shop or community hub/food bank together... it’s something that she will be learning about at school... I find children have a natural compassion.
Hello semifinalist 87,
I think it is a good learning process for a child to have their own purse with an amount of money in it that you consider suitable. When, for example, new pencils are required, you and your daughter can then go to the shop to buy them. In so doing, your daughter has the purse and goes to the counter, requests what she would like from the shop assistant, pays for it out of her purse and waits for the change and her goods. Obviously beforehand, you would remind her to say please and thank you and stand behind her to help her if she needed any. Your daughter may be confident in doing this already.
I mention it as a number of years ago I was queuing in a supermarket and in front of me was an 11 year old girl, her Mother was standing some feet away looking and listening intently to her daughter at the checkout. When I walked past the Mother who was unknown to me, she obviously felt compelled to explain to me why she was "hovering," she said, "my daughter starts secondary school in two weeks time and she is having a practise because she has never bought or paid for anything before. "I thought to myself "oh dear, that could have been taught years ago."
I started doing this with my grandchildren when they were approximately two and a half. Invariable in the early days on receipt of their goods they would dash away from the counter to then be returned by Nana to say "thank you" because they had forgotten to say it.