“Mommy-did we need the new headboard?”
I looked over at my nearly five year old daughter as she asked me this simple question, a little to preoccupied with how wrinkled my comforter and pillow cases were, to realize why she was asking me if we needed (serious emphasis on need) our new headboard.
“Yeah, Mommy needed it because we haven’t had one and she wants to finally feel like a grown up. Besides I got it on sale!” Because she is my daughter, she like me, loves a bright orange clearance sticker.
“Ok good, because remember we are supposed to only buy things we need, not want, to save money for Disney World!” And in that moment my gut felt as though her entire body weight (all 29.9 pounds) had punched me in the gut. This little girl completely, though I think unintentionally, called me out on a need versus a want.
I sat there for a second trying to decide what to do. If I hadn’t said anything she would have gone on happily, but I immediately flashed forward to her being in her early twenties in college feeling as though she NEEDED to buy a new lamp for her dorm room and using funds for tuition to buy that instead of paying for school.
So maybe I’m a bit dramatic in my visions, but the principal is there-it is my duty as a mother to teach her the difference of wants and needs. Her financial success (or lack of) will be determined by the steps I take now, when she is obviously absorbing every single thing I say.
I called her over and told her, “Baby, you know what-Mommy was wrong. She really, really wanted the headboard but she didn’t need it. I appreciate you reminding me that we are supposed to be saving for Disney World and I’m going to work harder at it.”
She just smiled at me, like she knew she was right all along.
What a lesson! I couldn’t help but laughing while I read through it, but I’m impressed by how you did a hard thing to teach your daughter an important lesson 🙂