Afford matlab?

When you have a 4 year old, you have the best companion for your outings. Particularly, when you also have a couch potato for a husband.

I am blessed with both.

My son is at an age and stage when he can complain loud about his mother not spending enough time with him. So even if it’s a trip to the nearest supermarket, I make a point to take him along. And next I realize that even the lackluster isles of a supermarket can make your evening blissful.

“Oh! It’s huge”

“Look at that, mom! You told me you’d buy that for me.”

“Mom, can we buy this too?”

“Mom, I want that”

“Mom, look didn’t we see that in the ad? Let’s put this too in your basket”

 

And I see him wanting to buy everything from bandaids to tampons.

Blame it on the articles that warn against too much pampering of your child, or the estimated bill that said I was going way too overbudget for the month, I finally blurted out, “Baby, we can’t afford to buy anything else.”

And that’s where the soup was going to get thicker.

“Afford, matlab?”

“Matlab, we don’t have money to buy all this.” I explained unaware of what was coming next.

“You mean to say we are poor?”

“Er.. no dear. We are not poor. We have all the things to live happily. So that makes us…”

“Rich?”

“Well ..yes. We are rich. Aren’t we? We get nice things to eat, play and so many people to love and care for us.”

“But I don’t have a playstation. You said I can’t have one. Is it because of that ‘afford’ thing?”

“Well…”

I could answer. If only I knew where to start from.

 

How do you pull off such conversations with your child? How is it discussing finances with your child? I am eager to listen to your side of the story. So, share.