Credit Crunching

I know this is a bit heavy for a Wednesday night, so I’ll try not to make it too depressing.  Mummy and Daddy are talking money a lot at the moment because it seems that Mummy’s job is at risk.  Something to do with efficiency savings and streamlining.  Sounds like cost-cutting to me.  Thankfully, I’m too young to really understand what Recession means, but I gather it’s affecting a lot of families at the moment.

There are an awful lot of references to the credit crunch these days, everywhere you look, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of children not much bigger than me are starting to realise that the term isn’t that pleasant. I suppose then that mummies and daddies are faced with the challenge of how much detail to go into.

You either go down the route of preserving childhood innocence, and do everything you can to shield your little one from the harsh world beyond the front door, or I guess there’s a great chance to provide some educational experience and lead by example; talk through money-saving intiatives and the consequences of saving and spending.

If you fall into the first section, you’re probably the sort of person frantically making all sorts of personal sacrifices so your children’s routines and habits are unaffected.  I read about one mummy who even went as far as not dying her hair any more (at least not at the haidresser) to save a bit of extra cash for dance lessons to continue.  Mummies really are devoted! 

Money-saving as an education needn’t be bad news either.  My cousin is a real bargain-hunter and loves finding a good deal.  She’s not even ten yet, but my aunty knows she can sniff out value, so it’s my cousin that surfs the internet for airport parking for the family holiday.  She sees getting money off as a challenge.  Good girl!

I imagine which option you choose has a lot to do with how old your babies are, but I don’t envy you mummies and daddies – it sounds like just another thing you have to worry about.  On top of everything else.

I think Mummy and Daddy will take a combination of both when I’m old enough.  Once I can talk properly, I’m sure they’ll want me to feel I can ask for anything (not that I’ll necessarily get it!) without having to be told no because we can’t afford it.  At the same time, once I’m a bit older, I know they’ll want to teach me about the value of money, how important it is to save, and how if I don’t spend all my pocket money on sweets and tat every week, I’ll be able to buy something much more valuable.

CB