A few years ago we made a parenting decision that many people might be genuinely disapproved, but I still support it and I’m glad we did it!
What was your decision to raise your child? Please tell me about that…
A transaction that seemed too good was not true
One of our teens was aiming for expensive techniques. They saved, searched, and eventually found what appeared to be an amazing deal of items they really wanted. There was only one problem. The deal was on a discount site that seemed to be less than the reputation.
Our teens were excited by all of us and showed us the site…and, to be honest, my radar disappeared quickly. This site felt too good and wasn’t true off. We shared our concerns, but our teens were set to make a purchase.
So we took a deep breath and talked about it…and gave them a green light and made it very clear that we could flow our hard-earned $90 into the drain by making this purchase, especially since there was no money-back guarantee offered to the site.
What happened next?
The package arrived a week later and looked legal. Branding, packaging – it all looked authentic. But the moment they turned it on, the excitement glowed rapidly.
It didn’t work as expected. It was not clear whether it was a fake, refurbished, or just a lemon, but one thing was clear: it was do not have Valued at $90. And to close it off, the company did not accept returns.
it hurts. That $90 is gone.
But here’s what I really bought for $90
Did our teens get frustrated? of course. But they learned invaluable lessons. Just because something looks great doesn’t mean it is. And just because something looks like the item you want to buy, always do your research and then do your research before spending money on something that might be too good.
After this huge disappointment, we realized that teens began to start doing more in-depth research before they bought it. They read reviews, asked better questions and asked us about our thoughts and advice before making a bigger purchase.
That one $90 mistake became one of the most valuable learning experiences they had. And today they are one of the most careful and familiar shoppers I know. That “failure” has turned into a lifelong skill.
Why do we make our kids struggle to learn sometimes
This is exactly what it is okay to let your kids make these kinds of mistakes while they are still at home. Because now is the time for them to learn – when the outcome costs $90 instead of $9,000.
Real money lessons are powerful. I can only go to books and lectures at this time. Sometimes the best teacher is the experience. And we rather want them to learn these lessons – we cheer them on and help them handle small mistakes – more than after when the stakes are much higher.
Make experiences your teacher
If you’re walking when kids and teens are starting to manage their money, don’t be afraid that they’ll fail a little. Let it feel the stab wounds of such a great decision. Then walk with them what they can learn from it.
Because they are lessons that stick. And those are lessons that will help them for the rest of their lives.
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Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
