When you're new to parenthood, you think those first few weeks are the hardest. They are, in many ways, especially when you bring home your first born child. However, as children get older we realize those baby years were almost easy. Feed the baby, play with the baby, wipe the baby, bathe the baby, read to the baby, love the baby, rock the baby to sleep... it was quite simple, really, despite the fact that it was a 24 hour a day job (it's always a 24 hour a day job!) done on 3 hours of broken sleep a night.
But as children get older, parenting gets harder. Much harder. We have to be careful about what we say, the words we use, and how we react to problems and situations. I swear a lot, especially if other people are driving like morons around me, and my children hear this. Hearing them use bad words (even though I applaud them in my head for using these words in appropriate situations) makes me feel bad. This is just one example of how careful we have to be when we're around our children. They watch us, and they learn from us.
As children get older, we are also faced with new challenges—helping them with homework, encouraging them to read, making learning as enjoyable as possible, cheering them on on the soccer field, and making sure that socially, they're doing okay. We're there for them when they get upset, hurt, or nervous, and we do our best to pick them up, love them, and encourage them.
We are also responsible for teaching our children important life skills—having good manners, being kind and polite to other people, teaching them the importance of patience (as hard as it may be) and teaching them to respect their belongings.
We're supposed to teach our children the value of a dollar, too. And this is where I begin to struggle, because I'm a terrible (or rather great) spender of money. In fact, I have to say spending money is one thing I do best, which is really bad for my debit and credit cards. In fact, my spending habits were the reason why my father got grey hair. Or so he likes to tell me... I've had a spending problem for years and years, and I've blogged about it before. It's a constant struggle for me to stop! spending! money! But everything calls my name... those sexy shoes, that gorgeous Louis Vuitton purse, even that cute Mad Men dress. Wants become needs... and well, my credit cards get maxed again and I find myself in a terrible situation.
LUCKILY for me, my oldest son, my second grader, does not take after me in this regard. He love collecting coins, he asked for a gold bar for his birthday from his grandparents (which he received!) and he has more money saved than I do, already.
An example of how he and I are different when we're dealing with money?
Here's what he would do with one hundred dollars:
And here's what I would do with one hundred dollars:
I am so, so glad he has more sense than I do when it comes to... well, cents!
But as children get older, parenting gets harder. Much harder. We have to be careful about what we say, the words we use, and how we react to problems and situations. I swear a lot, especially if other people are driving like morons around me, and my children hear this. Hearing them use bad words (even though I applaud them in my head for using these words in appropriate situations) makes me feel bad. This is just one example of how careful we have to be when we're around our children. They watch us, and they learn from us.
As children get older, we are also faced with new challenges—helping them with homework, encouraging them to read, making learning as enjoyable as possible, cheering them on on the soccer field, and making sure that socially, they're doing okay. We're there for them when they get upset, hurt, or nervous, and we do our best to pick them up, love them, and encourage them.
We are also responsible for teaching our children important life skills—having good manners, being kind and polite to other people, teaching them the importance of patience (as hard as it may be) and teaching them to respect their belongings.
We're supposed to teach our children the value of a dollar, too. And this is where I begin to struggle, because I'm a terrible (or rather great) spender of money. In fact, I have to say spending money is one thing I do best, which is really bad for my debit and credit cards. In fact, my spending habits were the reason why my father got grey hair. Or so he likes to tell me... I've had a spending problem for years and years, and I've blogged about it before. It's a constant struggle for me to stop! spending! money! But everything calls my name... those sexy shoes, that gorgeous Louis Vuitton purse, even that cute Mad Men dress. Wants become needs... and well, my credit cards get maxed again and I find myself in a terrible situation.
LUCKILY for me, my oldest son, my second grader, does not take after me in this regard. He love collecting coins, he asked for a gold bar for his birthday from his grandparents (which he received!) and he has more money saved than I do, already.
An example of how he and I are different when we're dealing with money?
Here's what he would do with one hundred dollars:
I am so, so glad he has more sense than I do when it comes to... well, cents!
Comments
He has you all fooled because you all buy him things he wants and he can save his money ;)