The way I see it, an allowance lets a child buy things that parents do not want to spend money on. It is not an end around to buy things that parents do not want the child to own in the first place.
Wearing leggings under the shorts is a no-go since we live in Tucson and it’s 110 most days. We’ll be wearing shorts until about Thanksgiving.
Her school has a dress code, but it doesn’t seem to be enforced when it comes to shorts and tank tops. I’ve never heard of anyone being told not to wear them.
I told her yesterday that she couldn’t buy the short shorts, since they were inappropriate for a girl her age. She pouted a bit, but nothing too major. Now she’s decided she wants to spend her money instead on a feather for her hair http://featherhairextensionsinfo.com/
I think I’d have a bigger problem with feather extensions than with short shorts.
I concur as well, with the addition of discussing possible consequences, up to and including not being able to wear/use whatever they bought, or having limited freedom with it. For example, allowing the purchase of a model rocket, with the explained caveat that Dad has to be there with them every time.
I think that was the right course of action, Palo Verde.
Allowance is a huge PITA at my house. I have one kid (8) who wants to buy every single thing he sees. He’s constantly asking me for stuff or asking if we can go buy something with his allowance. He gets a dollar/week just for being him and he can earn extra money by doing special jobs around the house. He’ll see expensive toys that he wants and tries to get his brother (5) to pool their money together. The five year old hardly ever asks for anything and tends to save his money, but he’s also a bit of a pleaser and will agree to just about anything his brother asks him to do (yes, I foresee big problems with this during the teen years).
Our rules have evolved into: 1) buy anything you want that’s under about $10 2) if you buy something like candy, it will be doled out to you at the normal rate of candy distribution - you won’t be allowed to gorge yourself on it 3) you’re not allowed to buy stuff that we don’t allow you to have 4) no pooling of money 5) no convincing your brother to buy stuff from you so that you can increase your income 6) if you save up for something big (>$10), you must go online, research prices, and read reviews (with my help) before making a purchase.
I also try show my kids how I shop for stuff so that they can see that we don’t just randomly buy everything we have an urge to buy. I try to let them see the decision making process in action when we go to the grocery store, buy a major household item, etc. So far, that’s had zero impact on my older child, but maybe one day it’ll pay off.
Convenience. Comfort. Looking good (without the possible sexual connotation - just looking aesthetically good).
But that wasn’t the :rolleyes:. Slut shaming is so passé.
Why?
I just find them this trend really tacky. I don’t know that I’d actually forbid my hypothetical kid from getting them…but I think I’d be cringing a lot.
Sure. That’s the point. I put money into his long-term account and he can add to it when he has more ‘income’. At the moment, he separates fifty cents a week out for tzedakah and pockets the rest. He used to blow his allowance quick enough until he realized that I wasn’t going to buy him new Wii games when he scratched the old ones. So he spent the entire summer saving and waiting anxiously to have enough for a new Super Mario Bros. Wii game. Amazon shipped it the other day - I was pretty proud of him for waiting two months. When I asked what he was going to buy next, he said, “I don’t know. I’m going to save it, though.”
I think if you make kids buy their own ‘major’ things, they’re more likely to save - telling a six year old to ‘save’ part of his allowance without a tangible goal is hard for them, I think.
That’s all the thing here. A daughter of a friend (age 11) just got some in her hair. Her parents would NEVER let her out of the house in super short shorts. If your daughter wants comfort, buy her some sweats.
Sweats?!? It is currently 112 freakin’ degrees as I type this. Tucson. Hot. No sweats.
I kinda like the feather extensions. Yes, it’s a trend that will be all over by spring, but that’s okay. She’ll save up her pennies and pay to put a few in, they’ll last about 3 months, and then they’ll be coming out by the time they are out of fashion.
I tell my kid, “Anything you want, as long as it’s not dangerous or morally questionable.” Implied is stuff like you can’t buy a kitten or something monumental (that I would have to be responsible for).
I’ve gone to a cash-free system where I virtually pay her each week and keep a spreadsheet of her accumulating wealth. It helps her not lose money and encourages saving, rather than buying random pieces of plastic crap once a week.
Ledzepkid is a saver. He’s 13 and gets $10/week. His allowance goes directly into his savings account, at his request. He never spends his money on candy or gum (doesn’t ask us for it either). He’s very frugal. He deposits most all of his birthday and other holiday money, too.
Because he is so careful with his money, we very rarely tell him he cannot buy something he wants with it. In fact, the only thing think he has ever asked to purchase that we said no was an Xbox. The main reason for that is because we have a Wii and a PS3 already and at the time he asked, the PS3 was fairly new. I told him to wait.
He’s the only kid in the family and totally pulls his weight, so even though he has money in the bank, we will sometimes give him spending money for going out with his friends) instead of making him pay his way.
Nicely averted. I think the hair things are cute, too.
Anything except hookers or blow.
Meanie!
I know… had my Dad been that strict, I would’ve locked myself in my room! :eek:
I’d tell her that if she buys them she can’t wear them. You aren’t restricting her buying but you are restricting how she is allowed to dress. It would be like someone saying that they won’t let their kid get their ears pierced, but if they want to buy earrings it’s their own money and they can waste it as they please. Make up a dress code that tells her what is acceptable.