We need to make a determined (and
continued) effort to help our kids become smart and savvy shoppers. Kids are
easily swayed in their shopping decisions — partly because advertisers, hoping
to score big sales, target them heavily, and partly because kids have very
little shopping experience. Train your kids to be smart shoppers; this skill will serve them well their entire lives. The sooner your kids learn good shopping habits, the better they will do for themselves.
When to
do
Ongoing
What to
do
1. Set good
examples.
Our kids learn a lot more from what we do than from what
we say. They watch every move we make, so it’s important that we set a good
example. How are your finances? Do you overspend? Is your way the one you want
your kids to follow?
The holiday season can be an excellent time to talk to
your kids about the limits you have set for your spending. Let them participate
in the process of selecting gifts that meet your holiday budget. If they see
you doing this now, they are much more likely to build the habit and keep it up
as adults.
2. Model
decision-making.
Let your kids hear your thought process when you make a
purchase decision. Get in the habit of doing this — and if you don’t always remember
to, ask your kids to remind you the next time. Do it for the little items as
well as your bigger purchases. Expose your kids to the full variety of
strategies you use in deciding whether to buy, what to buy, and how much to
spend.
Then, when your kids are in the throes of making a purchase
decision of their own, ask them to take you through their thinking process — out
loud. As they are learning, they may need you to remind them of helpful ways to
think about purchase decision-making. Start with simple suggestions; as they
get better, introduce more sophisticated ideas.
3. Let them
fail.
It’s far better that our kids learn early, through simple,
low-risk mistakes, to be smarter shoppers. The consequences of buying a poorly
made toy are low compared to the consequences they might suffer later from
buying a poorly made car. The lesson they learn from spending a few bucks
on a plastic action figure that doesn’t stand up to energetic play will stick
with them for a very long time.
4. Choose
not to buy.
Kids can learn from your example when you actively choose not
to buy something new and instead get creative in repurposing things you already
own. Sometimes our best lessons lie in helping our kids notice the abundance
already in their lives; we can demonstrate being a savvy shopper by choosing
not to buy something new.
What you
will need
Time and patience
Talk
About It
Do your kids appreciate your help when you offer advice on
making a purchase decision? Do you accept advice when your kids offer their input
into your decision? Ask your kids to notice whether practice helps: does it get
easier or harder or to choose between two items they really want (and can
afford), or does it stay the same?
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