Let me explain.
I've decided that buying decent quality items- clothes, food, technology- is the way forward. I spend less over the year as the items I purchase last longer, taste better, and do what I want them to without fail.
When we buy our children cheap toys, we tend to buy a lot of them. Houses clutter up, bad purchasing habits are reinforced, and we treat items as being disposable. "That cheap toy car? Bin it, it's broken."
It's not environmentally friendly, it's not logical, but it's what we do. I went through three cheap netbooks in three years (plus a couple of laptops before that) before finding my iPad, a piece of technology that works well and will last me for years. It's robust!
Something I see in school on a regular basis is the boost given to a child when they come in and say they've had something amazing for a birthday present. Recieving a great gift that is desirable but unexpected can motivate a child when you add in the phrase: "We thought you deserved this, you've worked so hard at school this year, we're so proud of you".
A fantastic gift can be something that continues to motivate an individual for decades. Think back. Can you remember the person in your class who had the proper Sony Walkman compared to your plastic rip-off that broke within two weeks? The lad who got a Game and Watch and let you play on it? We should not be indicating that posessions are important, but to show a child that one quality item will provide more entertainment, satisfaction, and pride that numerous cheap pieces is a worthy advancement of opinion.
So work out your finances and put aside £1000 a year for each of your children. Withdraw their pocket money, stop buying cheap comics and toys, and stick a picture of their dream posession on the fridge. Work their maths skills and planning ability by telling them the price and talking about what they will have to do to achieve their target. Tie in household chores, independent activities, and school reports and in twenty years time when they want to buy a new BMW they'll eschew finance, thinking: "I'm going to have to work overtime for eighteen months, scale up my small business, and cut back on the non-essentials to buy this."
Rewards can be eternally rewarding.
[Side note- keep the boxes in pristine condition, sealed in plastic bags. Even if the toys/tech end up being battered, they will often sell for a profit in twenty years if the boxes have been kept. Look up 'Game and Watch' and 'vintage Sony Walkman' on eBay. You'll find that your £1000 a year could eventually be worth four times as much when your child comes to sell their beloved presents when they are older. And who is buying them? The kids who always wanted them as a present but always got a lot of little things instead. The desire for amazing posessions will continue if not fulfilled! Go on, buy them something nice.]
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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