Not to want my son to spend what little money he has on..

[Ladyanonymous]

Crap toys?

He is 8 and he has recently been given a small amount of birthday money. For various reasons he does not get very much money. I am trying to persuade him to save it for something he really wants.

Problem is he has seen the shit toy thing in the cheapy shop that will last five minutes thats he says he does "really want", which will cost a third of the money he has.

AIBU not to let him buy it? When it really irks me and I feel its a total waste of money (albiet HIS money!). Is there a comprimise? Do I let him just get it and "learn his lesson"?.

What do others do?

Let him get it and learn his lesson...I think he needs to learn how to evaluate the stuff he wants, and distinguish the good from the bad...
You 'making' him NOT buy it, just means he will want it more, and it doesn't teach him a thing.

I wouldn't let him buy it. I don't believe giving a child money teaches them how to manage money. I didn't have any money of my own until the age of 16 when I got a job and because of that I am very good with money.

I agree, let him buy what he really wants even if you know it's a load of rubbish! Part of the excitement of birthday money is letting it burn a hole in your pocket!

DS2 who is 8 as well is exactly the same. as soon as he gets money he spends it.

Personally I am getting quite fed up with the cynical marketing of cards that you have to collect. We've done Match Attax, Yugioh, one or two other half-hearted things and now its Club Penguin ones. And there's always some "rare" card in each pack that encourages them to keep shelling out for more, or a special tin or "gold edition"... The house is full of little stacks of the sodding things.

he needs to learn for himself.
when it breaks, how disappointing, that was a waste of money, and he wont spend his money there again, maybe yours next time?

i think you either have to let him have his money in which case he spends it as he wishes. OR you take control and any money goes straight into a bank account

you can't give him the money and then dictate what he spends it on.

you can however, have a look through a catalogue/online at things he might reeeeally lke and point out that if he saves his money up he'd be able to get it... ths works for my 5 year old!!!

If he rarely gets his own money to spend, why not let him buy what he wants with it.

If the money was instead of a gift, then surely he should spend it on what makes him happy - isn't a gift meant to do that.

can he get a better version in a different shop, for more money, obviously?

I am also fed up of the cards, and Gogos, they are a MAJOR rip off.

Thaks for the suggestions, I've come to the comclusion that I agree with those who said it is his money and his birthday money after all, and he is currently looking through the Argos catalogue to see if there is something similar in there or something he would prefer, which may well last longer than the end of the day!!

Thanks

Daughter is always wanting to spend her money on rubbish, or yet another ornament for her crowded shelves. Eventually we decided that 1/2 her pocket money should go in her bank account, to be taken out for approved things, or birthday presents for family, and the other 1/2 she could spend on whatever tat she liked, thus (theoretically) keeping us all happy.

The only trouble now is us being organised enough to keep track of how much money she's supposed to be putting in the bank (we don't put it in for her, we give it to her and every so often she goes to the bank and puts it in), and the issue of what to do with birthday money. On the whole I think it's a reasonable compromise though.

Bloody GoGos! . I got DS a robot bank that counts as it goes and it seems to be helping as he can set a target and see his money mount up. We've come to an agreement that when he gets to a certain figure he can spend £5 etc and it's been going OK for the last few months.