Saturday morning, we were all sitting around the table and eating some incredible Bisquick pancakes with strawberries ... AND BACON...when the conversation turned to how much money various things cost. I think that my youngest daughter, Rachel, still doesn't quite "get" the concept that most of the money we spend is not spent by going to a store and picking something up!
So we started talking about all the things that we have to pay for in the house - like electricity, water, gas, phone, cell phones, DSL, insurance, cable TV, etc. etc. etc. All things that I suppose she thought the earth just delivered for us...like weeds.
After getting through this list and overcoming her amazement that we have to actually pay for all these things, we moved on to how MOST of the things we spent money on were actually luxuries. Luxuries that we don't actually NEED to have to live - or even just get by.
I specifically mentioned that you could completely eliminate the TV and cable, for example, without having a single negative consequence...and quite possibly a few positive consequences.
Always the deep thinker, Rachel thought about this for a few minutes and then said, "Actually, some people use the TV for important things...like VIDEO GAMES!"
Hearing this statement, my heart swelled with pride! I had succeeded as a parent! Rachel got it!
I was beaming! Are you hearing this Nintendo?
Minutes later, though, Rachel made the claim that she said that whole video game thing as a joke. She thought it was hilarious that I agreed so whole-heartedly with the idea that an important use of the TV was video games. I suppose this means she couldn't think of an actual important use of the TV.
Either way, I'm counting this as a parenting success story. Either my daughter AGREES with me about the proper use for TVs, or she is very good a coming up with jokes.
This is a win-win situation.
Life is good.
A few months ago, we were talking about all the optional things we spend money on...cell phones, satellite TV, DSL, etc. Son #2 (a self-proclaimed computer engineering nerd)was incredulous that we would even THINK about putting Internet access in this category!
Posted by: Kathy G | March 09, 2009 at 10:08 AM