Setting limits with clothes shopping

I had a friend that I went to school with.  Her father gave her a credit card to her favorite clothing store, and told her that her limit was $500 – and not to go over it.  Each month her dad would pay off her credit card, giving her another $500 to spend.  She loaded up the credit card each month with new clothes.  She had so many clothes that there were some she had never worn, and she rarely wore the same outfit more than once.  I had a friend that I went to school with.  Her father gave her a credit card to her favorite clothing store, and told her that her limit was $500 – and not to go over it.  Each month her dad would pay off her credit card, giving her another $500 to spend.  She loaded up the credit card each month with new clothes.  She had so many clothes that there were some she had never worn, and she rarely wore the same outfit more than once.   I like simplicity.  I could not understand the point of buying clothes that did not get used.  I wondered what her life would be like when she got married and her dad no longer paid the credit card. I believe it is important to set reasonable limits on our children and their spending habits.  The limit can be whatever you see fit, but should be appropriate for the child and should be able to teach them some value.  Finding value in things helps us to appreciate them more and they will have a greater desire to take care of them. When I was young, we did not have a lot of money, and my mom set a spending limit for my school clothes.  I was given $100 to get clothes with.  It did not matter to her whether I went to a local department store or hit the big brand name stores, the amount was the same.  I would buy my $42 Guess jeans and a few shirts, and that would take up all my money.  I learned early on the lesson of value.  The Guess jeans were really important to me and because they cost so much money, I took care of them.  I could have spent the money better elsewhere, but I still learned from it.

Preschool GoodbyesPreschool Goodbyes
Preschool can be very difficult for young children.  They don’t have a concept of time, so it is hard for them to understand that they will be at the preschool for a portion of the day and then you will pick them up again.  Kids can have a difficult time letting their mom or dad leave.   Everyone has seen scenes where a child is clinging to their parent, tears coursing down their face, and the parent is reluctant to leave, glancing around for some help.  This is not only hard for the child, but also for the parent.  I think we have all seen or faced this experience. Situations like these can be less stressful if you follow a few simple ideas.  If you are starting out at a new preschool, visit before the first day and take a tour of the school.  Tell your child how they get to be big now and go to school.  Show them where their things will belong.  Find out what they will be doing on their first day.  Most schools have a schedule with themes and activities mapped out.  You can talk about how they get to paint today, or they are learning about clowns.  Get your child excited about what they will be doing. When the day arrives to take them to school, don’t make a big deal about saying goodbye.  Help them hang up their things and take them to their teacher.  Give them a quick kiss or hug and say goodbye.  Then turn around and leave.  This is the hardest part – walking away.  Dragging out the goodbyes only makes it more emotional for your child.  If you don’t act like you will be missing them throughout the day, they won’t act that way either.