Frugality

[gbabesmom]

Is it possible to teach kids frugality? My two boys are 4 and 2 and we had a modest Christmas until the other relatives showed up and gave them too many toys to count. My 7 year old niece got 54 gifts and was looking for more. I really want to show my kids there is more to life than material things. I'm just glad this only happens once a year. 

[scollontrade]

What a great idea. I remember being the same way when I was a kid. How about asking them to share one or more of their gifts with a less fortunate child or a child in a hospital?

[mjdoug03]

Wow that's a lot of toys.  Take them to a homeless shelter and have them serve food.

[Flackle]

I would seriously confront your relatives on the number of gifts they are giving your children. You might think they would feel you don't appreciate what they are doing, but it is your children and you control what they get or don't get. My family does a bit of planning, and even then we don't have enough money to give that many gifts to each other. All the children get at most 3 or 4 gifts, and the adults get entered into a drawing for gift exchange. The only thing I could think of to teach them frugality is discipline. They need to learn that gifts are not something they should expect to get. If you limit the number of toys they get then they will learn to appreciate what toys they do get. If they are no cooperative, then discipline them appropriately. Take away the toys they already have and then they will learn to appreciate the toys they already have.

[Trace321]

Yea, I agree on the relatives part. You need to let them know.

[gbabesmom]

My mother in law said giving clothes as gifts is unfair to the kids. Really? My husband's Grandmother who is on a limited income was so worried about not getting enough presents. When I told her not to buy them toys she became angry with me.  Half the toys they got are close to broken or lost under their beds. Later this week I'm going to cull out all the broken toys and one's they don't play with anymore and donate the good stuff to goodwill.

[dreamyxo]

At 4 and 2 they won't even remember what happened.  They are too young to understand some concepts but you have to lead by example.  I am very frugal and I learned it from my parents, my father especially.  I remember around 6 years old my father would sit down at the table with me and show me about paying the bills.  He told me about paying myself first and saving and not spending more than I had.  He'd take me to the bank with him.  My mother taught me about bargain shopping.  Basically I learned by example.  They need to learn that some people have more money than other people and they can do more but doesn't mean that they are any better or that material things are what you should strive for.

[frozenimage]

If you start teaching them early, there might still be a chance to show them. The worst case scenario i see is if they don't understand what they are being taught.