First, lead by example and set an example of thrift and thrift for children
Parents are the child's first teachers, and the influence on the child is always there. As the famous educator Makarenko said, "Do not think that education is only when you talk to children, or when you educate children and command children." In every moment of your life, even when you are not at home, you are educating children. How you dress, how you talk to others, how you talk about others, how you rejoice or complain, how you treat enemies and friends, how you laugh, how you read newspapers — all of this is of great importance to children. ”
Therefore, to cultivate children's habits of thrift and thrift, we must start with parents. Parents should lead by example, create an atmosphere of diligent and frugal family life, and influence their children with their own actions.
Buffett, known as the "God of Stocks", would never have thought that while he was generous to charity, he had been living a very frugal life. For Buffett, saving every penny is a natural thing. Buffett's office is small and doesn't have any luxurious décor; Buffett's working meals have always been burgers and cokes; Buffett never patronized the laundromat outside, and all his clothes were washed and ironed by his wife, Susan.
He didn't ask for much attire, so he only asked Susan to iron the collar, pockets, and cuffs, which saved both labor and electricity, and even when he was on an important business occasion, he didn't think there was anything disrespectful about wearing a pair of old running shoes.
One biographer described Buffett's clothing: "His clothes are always crumpled, his ties are often too short, they are several inches above the belt, his shoes are badly worn, his coat and tie are usually not matched at all, and if he wears a suit, it is also a conservative style that has long been outdated..." Buffett's children, although not as popular as their father, have independent careers, and after accepting a fund from their father, they also use it for charity.
Buffett in the case set an example of thrift and thrift for his children. The children passed on his attitude towards money well: money is not meant to be wasted, because every penny has extraordinary room for value-added; Money is not just for one's own use, it should also be used for charity and improving the lives of all people. Buffett uses this view of money to educate his children about the value of hard work and frugality.
Second, treat the child's material requirements rationally
In increasingly affluent families, parents should be more rational in their love for their children, and they should resolutely reject some unreasonable material requirements of their children, and patiently explain the reasons for rejection to guide children to realize the irrationality of these requirements.
Parents accommodating their children, or unconditionally meeting their children's requirements due to their own vanity and comparison psychology, are harmful to children and have no benefit. For some material requirements that children do not need to meet immediately, parents can use the method of delayed gratification.
In the 1960s, Walter Michel, a professor of psychology at Stanford University in the United States, designed a delayed gratification experiment. The experimenter gave each of the four-year-old children a delicious gummy and told the children: if you eat it immediately, you can only eat one; If you wait twenty minutes before eating, give two.
Some children were impatient and immediately ate the sugar. Others are patient, sleeping with their eyes closed or head resting on their arms, while others use self-talk or singing to divert attention and pass the time to restrain their desires, thus getting richer rewards.
Decades later, the researchers found that children who were able to wait longer to get more gummies did better academically and did better in their careers. Satisfying it too easily will make the child feel that things in the world are too easy and there is no need to work hard.
Delayed gratification helps train children to voluntarily delay their current enjoyment in order to get better results or the ability to get greater gratification. Parents should let their children learn to wait, learn to get what they want through their own efforts.
Third, start from small things and guide children to develop good habits of thrift and thrift
The ancients said, "Don't do it with kindness and smallness, and don't do it with evil."
To cultivate children's habit of thrift and thrift, we must start from the small things that can be done in daily life. Parents should guide their children to cherish items, repair old and waste, and consume rationally in their daily lives. In normal times, it is necessary to save every grain of rice and not to dump meals; Save every kilowatt hour of electricity, people walk the lights off; Save every drop of water, close the faucet after washing your hands, laundry water, shower water can be used to flush the toilet, etc.; Save every piece of paper, do not throw away white paper, the reverse side of the used paper can write a draft, etc.; Cherish books, learning tools, etc., and do not tear books; Love tables, chairs, doors and windows, etc.; For the various items used, some damage can be repaired and reused, do not easily discard.
Parents should guide their children to achieve "a porridge and a meal, when thinking is not easy; Half a thread and half a wisp, constant thoughts and material resources are difficult", in the long run, children will develop a good habit of thrift and thrift.
Fourth, let children participate in labor and experience the process of wealth creation
Parents should guide their children to participate in labor, arrange for their children to do some housework within their capabilities, let children know how to create everything through labor, truly appreciate the hardships and difficulties of labor, know how to thank parents for their hard work, and cultivate the excellent quality of children's hard work.
At the same time, parents should create opportunities for their children to experience the process of wealth creation, when they realize the hardship and difficulty of making money, they will no longer waste it casually, so as to consciously develop the good habit of thrift and thrift. In this process, children will also slowly learn to be considerate of their parents and be grateful to their parents.
Parents in the United States rarely give their children pocket money, so children will earn their own pocket money by picking up garbage on campus, collecting drink bottles in exchange for money, or by delivering newspapers to others and mowing the lawn. Every child will not be embarrassed at all, and they will be more proud of their ability to earn money. The purpose of American parents is to cultivate the habit of self-reliance, thrift and thrift.
Fifth, let children learn to use pocket money reasonably
With the improvement of living standards, the pocket money in children's hands is also increasing. Parents should guide their children to use pocket money reasonably and help their children learn to spend in a planned manner, which helps to cultivate the quality of children's diligence and thrift.
1. Give your child pocket money in a timely and appropriate amount
How much pocket money to give your child is by no means an insignificant question. Pocket money cannot be given as you want, and it is best to distribute it regularly. Pocket money should not be too much, the standard should be determined as appropriate, taking into account the consumption items to be covered, the economic situation of the family, the market situation (refer to the standards of other small partners) and the age level of the child. Prince William of England, who received a strict education from an early age, gave up court life at the age of ten, went to boarding school at the Queen's request, and could only return home every three weeks, with only nine pounds of pocket money a semester.
2. Guide children to form a reasonable concept of consumption and cultivate children's basic consumption ability
In the process of using pocket money to buy things, parents should teach their children to make prudent decisions, form a reasonable concept of consumption, and cultivate basic consumption ability. Parents should let their children understand that with money, it is not what they want to buy, commodities cannot be bought, they must learn to choose rationally, and while satisfying some wishes, they must restrain other desires.
Parents should help their children gradually distinguish what is necessary, which is dispensable, and which is not needed at all, knowing that the money to spend should be spent and the money that should not be spent should be saved. Parents should teach their children to learn to compare quality and price when buying goods, and to make comprehensive trade-offs.
3. Guide your child to make a plan for the use of pocket money
Parents should guide their children to formulate a specific pocket money use plan, make a rough budget for their own expenses, and regularly reflect on the use of pocket money to see whether there is irrational consumption, whether there is a discrepancy between various expenditures and budgets, whether the budget is unreasonable or consumption loss, and summarize in time to adjust the plan at any time.
4. Help your child set up a bank account
Parents can help their children set up their own bank accounts, make them responsible for their own account deposits, and the use of money in bank accounts must be subject to parental supervision. Children always like to save more and more money in their accounts, so that they will be careful when buying things and will not spend money indiscriminately.
At the same time, parents should tell their children that they should also use the money on the account to fulfill some obligations, such as buying small gifts for grandparents and other elders during the New Year's Festival, and helping people in need. This not only helps children develop the habit of planned consumption, but also allows children to understand that money can not only satisfy people's desires, but also have more and higher value and meaning.
Sixth, let children learn to use waste items
Waste items are everywhere in life and are even abandoned by many people. Many people often do not find that if waste items can be used rationally, they can also turn waste into treasure. In life, parents can let their children learn to use waste items, such as making a flower basket with a can, cutting old sandals into slippers, etc. This can not only cultivate the habit of thrift and thrift, but also enhance the child's awareness of environmental protection.
"Monkey Classroom" has some practical methods for the reference of the majority of parents, and will slowly launch some video courses suitable for parents and children at the middle and high school stages, which parents in need can pay attention to.