When we first moved to Long Island I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be up against certain situations where my girls would come home and say, "Sloane has this and Emily has that or Taylor has an ipad and she is only in second grade, why can't I have an ipad?"
I am well aware of the fact that children wanting something another child has is not a phenomenon specific to our town. This is a normal occurrence no matter where you live any where in the world. The level of the material possession may change but kids are kids and they want what other kids have and there will always be those kids that have more, or the latest gadget, or the best clothes.
Having said that, Long Island and New York are not exactly like the rest of the country though. People here spend money hand over fist. I am sure many of them can afford to buy these things, and some that do, probably shouldn't, but they do anyway. Their priorities seem to be out of line and saving is not as important as spending is, and a keeping up with the Jones' attitude is a very real thing.
Lately, we have found that trying to raise children in this environment where we are savers and many others are spenders, is definitely a rough road to navigate. It seems that I am explaining on a weekly basis, the value of money and how we choose to spend or save ours, may differ from others and those are our choices.
Everyone makes different choices. Some people choose to be fiscally responsible and plan ahead and others are not as fiscally responsible and don't plan ahead. I think my girls are getting it and someday they will thank us for teaching them the concept of saving.
Lily has decided to take twenty five percent of her allowance and put it away for the house she wants to buy in Charleston, when she graduates college.
So we forge ahead because when I hear Lily talk about saving and the house she is going to buy, I am hopeful that some of our tremendous efforts are sinking in, but believe me a brand new pair of tall Uggs is much easier for them to understand.