teaching ds about money - he's 4

[booyhoo]

we have started giving ds1 40p a week pocket money for doing little jobs around the house (taking the bin in, opening all the curtains in the morning, helping with dishes, bringing washing down.)

he has been really good doing all these things now without even being asked and i have been giving him the pocket money for about 4 weeks. the problem is, at thestart of the 4 weeks he saw game for the nintendo ds that he wants to buy with his pocket money. it costs £33 and is not something we would buy him unless for a birthday or xmas (niether of which are anytime soon)

i have explained to him that this game is very expensive and he wont have enough money for a very very long time. but every week when i give him the money he asks if we can go and get his game now. i remind him that he doesn't have enough money and he breaks down into tears. he gets really upset and asks me when he will have enough. i tell him that he should pick something else to buy but he insists he wants this game.

OH says we should just get him the game and let him think he bought it but it is alot of money and tbh i would begrudge paying that for a game when we are on such a tight budget. plus, the point of the pocket money is to teach ds how to earn and save. buying him the game would defeat the purpose.

i just dont know how to get across to ds that he wont be able to have the game. he gets so upset every week when it is time for pocket money.
any suggestions?

[CoteDAzur]

You may have gone a bit above his level of understanding at age 4.

[Greensleeves]

sit him down and explain that "big things" like games and bikes and DVDs are for mummy and daddy to buy when they can afford them

pocket money is for "little things" - sweets, comics, nice pencils etc

I don't give pocket money (mine are 5.6 and 7.5) so my advice might be crap

[Marne]

He's only 4, my dd1 still doesn't really understand money and how much things cost and she's 6, she thinks she has lots of money because she has a money box full of 2p's and she thinks this will buy her a pony or a house.

I think 4 is too young to be worrying about money TBH.

[CybilLiberty]

dont start a habit you cant keep up. Buying £33 games?!Tell ds to put it on his birthday list

[booyhoo]

i should add that before we started giving him pocket money he got a magazine every week with th grocery shopping and i explained to him that he could now buy his own magazines once he had enough money. he was very happy with that until he saw the game in one of the magazines.!!!

[CybilLiberty]

Or collect money in a reallly big pot and say he can have toy when he fills it up

Sounds like dh wants the game too.....

[booyhoo]

it is a pokemon game so not OH's thing. OH is just more keen on keeping ds happy.