I’ve been morphing into my father for years now, likely since my very first breath. But nothing accelerates this transformation quite like becoming a parent yourself. The most telling signs of my metamorphosis, aside from the inevitable backaches and dark circles under my eyes, are the things I find myself shouting at my children.
Hearing my dad fuss about lights being left on, doors ajar, or the TV still blaring was a common occurrence that I found tiresome. Yet here I am, echoing those very complaints. It’s almost as if I’m channeling every father I’ve ever known!
Feeling exasperated by my children’s complete ignorance of household expenses is simply part of parenting, while dismissing parental concerns is par for the course for kids. Combine those two experiences, and you have me spending my summer yelling clichés at my 5-year-old. (Yes, I’m that parent now saying, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!”)
I often find myself wandering my home in the evenings, switching off lights and muttering to myself. If my siblings were to visit and close their eyes, they might think they were in our dad’s house, and they would undoubtedly tease me about it. But guess what? They don’t pay my electric bills!
Utility expenses are not just annoying aspects of games like Monopoly; they are genuine financial burdens that often go unnoticed by children. I suspect my 5-year-old believes that the electricity powering his beloved nightlight and streaming services, along with the iPad he’s occasionally permitted to use, is as abundant and free as the air around him. The same goes for water, especially when he turns on the faucet to wash his hands but gets so engrossed in sharing his latest Lego masterpiece that he forgets to turn it off.
Of course, young children do not grasp the concept of money. (My son, for example, thinks all coins are pennies, and yes, he once swallowed a penny, which resulted in an interesting week.) However, even if they did, I’m sure they would still expect essentials like water, electricity, heating, food, and Wi-Fi to be free.
Children who are well-provided for truly understand privilege. Frankly, I’d like them to continue enjoying that for as long as possible. It’s certainly not my intention to burden my 5-year-old with the stress of our limited finances, just as it’s not his aim to make me anxious about becoming my father before I hit 40 (which is just around the corner!). But the reality is that both scenarios are almost unavoidable; they are part of the complex relationship between parent and child.
It’s inevitable that I will become more like my parents and that my kids will act like, well, kids. It’s also likely that I’ll develop ulcers from the stress of it all. My hope is that I can protect my children from the daily worries of adulthood until they are old enough to understand the world and help navigate its challenges alongside me.
Who knows? Maybe they can start contributing to the household as early as 10! Until then, I’ll just have to “adjust” their allowance when they leave lights on. (Not that they actually receive an allowance!)
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In summary, as parents, we often find ourselves repeating the same frustrations our own parents had, particularly regarding household expenses. Children’s obliviousness to these matters can be both amusing and exasperating, but it’s part of the parenting journey. Our goal is to protect their childhood innocence while preparing them for the realities of adulthood when the time comes.
Keyphrase: parenting expenses awareness
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