Oh yeah, I had to punish you with some of my art work again. Pencil, my favorite. Blah. Tamarin has always asked why Daddy or Mommy had to go to work and she always got the answer, "Because we have to have money to pay for food, house, water, electricity. Everything you have and see has to be bought with money." She has understood that for a while and has been wonderful at saving her own money to buy her dog things.
Now we are creeping up on 7 years old and her wishlist on Amazon is.... hmm... well, she's got expensive taste. She keeps talking about all the things she will get for her birthday and I keep explaining to her she will not get everything on her list. She will be lucky to get SOMETHING from her list because she chose things that are very expensive.
" Well, how can I get more money?"
" You get a job, but you are too young to work."
" Can Daddy get more money?"
" Not likely."
" Where do they get money?"
" The government makes it."
" Can we make money?"
" No, that's illegal. You go to jail for making money."
The rest of the conversation turns into a discussion of how our economic system works. You work to get money. The only way you can avoid work is to go dig for gold, silver, other valuable rocks and minerals, which is itself very hard work. Followed up once again with: You grow up, get a job (or dig?), move out, home of your own, possibly marry, maybe have kids, etc. Which she has all heard before.
" I don't want to grow up. I want to stay home with you forever."
I wonder how many more years of that attitude I have left?
How did you explain to your young children why they can't have everything they want?
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