TAG Question of the Week
Lunch is not free. Clothing is not free. The roof over our heads, the car that drives us to school, the warmth we experience on cold nights … none of it is free. And that’s not even touching our zoo membership, bikes in the garage or the weekly trip to the ice cream shop.
Oftentimes when a child requests something special, parents will suggest they save their money. It’s a great money-saving, goal-reaching exercise and the experience of purchasing something that you want with your hard-earned money is both rewarding and a great lesson in delayed gratification. And fortunately, most of us are not in a position to require that our children work to help buy groceries or pay the mortgage in order to support the family.
We don’t want our children to worry about their basic needs being met, but as we begin exposing our children to money, finances, saving, spending and sharing, there is value in teaching them about the cost of basic needs. Like dinner. They might be surprised.
So what do your kids think? How much did dinner cost tonight? What other basic needs cost money – and how much? Do they think that some families might have struggle to pay for the things they need? How come? Find out with the Question of the Week!
Published every other Friday, use the Question of the Week to spark conversation with your children about family, money, giving and help them explore what matters most to them.