Our financial remodeling has had impacts beyond our finances. One aspect of the journey was gaining a better understanding of what our needs are compared to our wants. With parenting, something we often discuss is how to raise children who do not feel a sense of entitlement because we are able to provide a life that is beyond comfortable for most. The balance from wanting to give them the world yet understanding they need to have a sufficient level of understanding about what it means to earn the things you want.
One tradition that I started with C when he was very young was teaching him how to give to others. It's been a lesson that continues to pay itself forward with very little influence or convincing needed from us at this point. Before C's birthday and Christmas, he has to go through his toys to pick out things he can donate. We all do spring cleaning as parents but sometimes we don't include our kids because of the headaches of trying to get them to part ways from some of their favorite toys. Also let's be honest, it's easier to do it without little people in the mix who have a tendency to grow extremely attached in mere seconds to their "favorite" toy they haven't touched in months, collecting dust the minute you mention giving it away.
The inclusion of C has helped him realize he has a choice and voice in a decision that impacts him. It has also allowed him to participate in feeling good about doing something nice for others. We normally give C a warning a few weeks before his birthday and Christmas that he should start to pick toys he wants to give away. As he's gotten older, I have also given him restrictions on how much space his toys can take up. We store his toys in various IKEA bins and shelves so his toy population is limited to what he can neatly fit into his bins.
In teaching C to give as well as limiting his space, he has already started to be more conscious of what he needs and wants because he knows with a limited amount of space he will need to give up something he has at home when he asks for a toy during a Target run. And not to mention, C is already showing signs of having a giving spirit as he has started to add a few of his saved dollars in his homemade birthday cards to loved ones as well as recently giving me a Pokemon card from his prized card collection of my favorite character as a "just because" gift.
