This article is for IndiBlogger’s Colgate Total’s The Moral of the Story is competition.
“You don’t love me! You have never loved me. You can’t give me even this much, Paisa haath ka male hota hai (dirt) you have so much, do you intend to take it with you.” He turned on his heel,went into his room and banged the door shut behind him. I sat there looking into space, tears rolling down my face. Silence descended , I heard the whisper, if only I had …
“If Ishaan can have an iPhone, why can’t I? he had asked. Like all parents, I had always wanted to give my child the best, stuff that I didn’t have while I was growing up. But It is such a fine line if we always give them what they want, we risk spoiling them, but if we don’t then what kind of parents are we who cannot fulfil their children’s wishes, especially when we can afford it. Kids are so difficult these days… Actually, parenting is so difficult nowadays. My wife tried telling me to ask him to study more, or keep his room clean or explain that it is expensive but I let it go. Next day when I gifted him his iPhone, the smile on his face and his bear hug with “You are the best dad in the world” made me feel like, like that man from Krypton who could single handedly save the planet. If only I had said “No” then…If only I would have tried to make him understand what these items cost and how they are paid for. If only I would have told it it is keeping up with Sharma,Verma, Mehta, is a losing battle.
“Just use your credit card” he had told me, when we had gone shopping and he wanted to buy an expensive Jeans. “Why?” I has asked. “Because I am worth it!”, he replied. “What’s the occasion? Your birthday is still months away?” I asked. “Because you do not need an occasion to indulge yourself” he said copying the voice in the advertisement in which my wife coughs when the husband presents her a gold set and I become hard of hearing. “But I don’t have that much cash with me” I said. To which he asked me to wave the magic card. If only I had told that we have to pay back whatever we purchase with our credit card. This is not the magic money that comes from nowhere. Then he would have not run up huge debt on credit cards.
“But it’s an investment and would give me the global exposure”, he had said. “Why do you want to go outside for your MBA?” I had asked looking above the glossy brochures he had handed to me. “Aren’t 4 years of engineering enough? What’s wrong with your job. What about the girls that your mother is seeing for you?” “Papa I want to do something. 22 pe padia, 25 pe naukri, 27 pe chokri, 30 pe bacche.. aur 60 pe retirement!! Esi ghisi piti life thdo jeena chahta hu main, I want to see the world”. My wife chipped in “Padai hi tu hai. Mrs Mehra son, Mr Kartik’s daughter, Mr Mukherjee’s grandson everyone these days is going to US, London,Australia to study. Humare khanddan mein humari naak onchi ho jayegi and then we will get even better proposals for our son” replied my wife. “But why should I draw from my retirement fund to sponsor his dream college. Haven’t we done enough. If he wants to go to college let him pay” My son “But papa once I come back I shall be earning so much, In one year I will make more than you have made in your life” If only I had told him No then, If only I had told him that stand on your feet and don’t snatch mere budape ki lathi. I would not have to listen to his rants on how recession is hitting the market, can’t get a job. How bosses are suckers and so he started his own venture which unfortunately, folded up within a year and he had come to me demanding me to help him out.
From his childhood I had taught him to maintain a good oral hygiene, getting regular dental checkups, taking caring of cavities(find more about healthy teeth at Colgate’s My Healthy Speak Blog) If only I had also taught him the value of money,problems of credit card debt, difference between needs and wants I risked him into growing into an adult was not aware of importance of money. By presenting him all he wanted on a platter, I raised a son unprepared for the realities of life. What kids should know at various ages is shown in picture below :
What kids should know as they grow up
Note: This article is for IndiBlogger’s Colgate Total’s The Moral of the Story is competition.
How are you making your kids aware of money? Which money lesson would do you think we parents MUST teach our children? Are we parents spoiling our kids?
Congratulations on the win… It is indeed a very important lesson and well deserved. Kudos!
Ankita Singhal
A piece I wrote…
Thanks a lot for being harbinger of good news. I would have missed it otherwise and congrats to you too!
Congratulations on the win… It is indeed a very important lesson and well deserved. Kudos!
Ankita Singhal
A piece I wrote…
Thanks a lot for being harbinger of good news. I would have missed it otherwise and congrats to you too!
This is a very important lesson. These days parents pamper their kids to such an extent that they don’t value anything. All the best dear for the contest 🙂
Thanks Saru. We are so focused on small term that we as parents forget that we will have to pay for the lessons we don’t teach them financial, non-financial. It should be that kids think parents are just doing their duty.
Congratulations on winning 🙂
Thanks Saru you too!
This is a very important lesson. These days parents pamper their kids to such an extent that they don’t value anything. All the best dear for the contest 🙂
Thanks Saru. We are so focused on small term that we as parents forget that we will have to pay for the lessons we don’t teach them financial, non-financial. It should be that kids think parents are just doing their duty.
Congratulations on winning 🙂
Thanks Saru you too!
Great Post and Nice point put forward…
Thanks Harsha.
Great Post and Nice point put forward…
Thanks Harsha.
I think children should definitely be aware of the value of money. I remember one of my son’s friends asking him ” I have a 10000 rupees electric car. What do you have?”, for which my son replied ” I have books to read!”. Thus, it is not impossible to bring up children to value certain things more than just money. It is the dangerous mentality of parents saying “I didn’t have these. Let my child have.” that spoils the children’s minds.
Well said. Easier said than done..
I think children should definitely be aware of the value of money. I remember one of my son’s friends asking him ” I have a 10000 rupees electric car. What do you have?”, for which my son replied ” I have books to read!”. Thus, it is not impossible to bring up children to value certain things more than just money. It is the dangerous mentality of parents saying “I didn’t have these. Let my child have.” that spoils the children’s minds.
Well said. Easier said than done..