Which brings me to this: I wonder if buying expensive items for our children is not us teaching them consumerism at an early age? At the same time there has been some good quality items that I have invested in for Aluta that he has passed on to his younger cousins which can be a good moral lesson on it's own (sharing and preservation). Irregardless of the price, how does one teach a kid to value their possessions? How do I make it possible for his son to wear the same pair of Timberland's that he wore when he was 4?
We live in the era of fads. The media is already teaching kids the culture of consumerism. Value of a certain item that you purchase for a kid is now determined by the current trend. A year ago it was Ben 10 pyjamas, today it's Bakugan pyjamas and whether or not the Ben 10 pyjamas are still in good condition, they immediately lose value because they are not what the media is portraying as 'happening' right now.
It's all a little bit scary for me because I would like to give my child the best of what I can afford and still keep him grounded. Thus far my strategy has been to strip away his naivety and youth by explaining the concept of work and the result of work to him. Mommy needs to work hard in order for A B and C to be achieved. Even basic things like his education are a result of work and therefore we need to appreciate what we have because of the amount of work that went in to obtain them. I hate having to expose him to the System at such an early age but it's either that or I teach him the ways of the hippies and move him to the mountains.
The New Balance kicks were swapped for a pair of Ackerman's play shoes. One cannot stop kids from being kids, and kids need brakes for their scooters.
Reading also helps...
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